I'd heard it too. It was being reported that some foreign person claimed it was his 'human right' to have a family life with a cat that he'd grown to love! My! My! My! Is there an animal right, I wondered. The right NOT to live with a human being!
However - that was not the point of my posting today - Oh No! There are many other interesting things to catch the eye. Yesterday in The Daily Mail, there was a longish article by Zoe Brennan. It had the headline: 'The Tory Nimbies: The ministers backing planning law changes who have opposed developments in their own back yards'.
In this article, she exposed the downright hypocrisy and mealy-mouthed verbiage issuing from the mouths of ministers. Who are they, do you ask? Why - the usual suspects: 'Bagpuss' Pickles given the moniker 'a human wrecking ball' by George Monbiot. Francis 'Weasel Man' Maude, as you would guess, if you'd seen my previous posting. Then there is 'Disgusting' Clark.
Zoe Brennan produced some interesting quotations from 'Disgusting' Clark, who as she commented:
... has been at the forefront of the Government’s defence of the National Planning Policy Framework
As we know, he was very opposed to 'New Labour’s attempts to increase the number of homes built in and around his rural Tunbridge Wells constituency.' In 2006, he actively supported campaigners who were concerned that the plans would have an impact on greenfield sites. Among those who campaigned against this new homes policy was the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
At the time, 'Disgusting' Clark was determined to save the greenbelt. He was quoted as saying:
This nationally imposed hike in housing numbers will place yet more pressure on our precious green spaces. It should be for local communities, through their councillors, to make development decisions based on the needs and character of the area.
Previously used industrial land or brownfield sites must be the first priority for houses, not green spaces.
Three years later, in 2009, when there were plans to build 6,000 affordable new homes, he said:
‘One of the delights of our area is that there is scarcely a neighbourhood that is not within a short walk of green fields.’
Yet now - this same staunch protector of all things green and beautiful is quoted as commenting:
I believe passionately that decisions should be made at local level — by people who know their communities best. Our reforms — by scrapping national targets and putting local councils in charge — do exactly what I’ve always campaigned for.
This statement of Clark's is rather disingenuous. He and his colleagues have made it clear that planning should favour development. In fact, various large development companies have lauded the Draft National Planning Policy Framework. George Monbiot pointed out, in an article entitled 'Our planning system is authorised blackmail – and it's about to get worse' in The Guardian on 26 September, that local interests have little chance against large businesses hell bent on developing land, under the Coalition's new planning policy.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) also sees very little distinction between the New Labour development plans and those so vociferously advocated by 'Disgusting' Clark. They have protested vigorously against the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Instead of the CPRE and Clark being allies, Clark now dismisses their expressed anxieties as needless. Other political colleagues have referred to them as being nihilistic in their approach. With former friends like Clark et al, what other enemies does the CPRE need?
Now we come to another favourite politician of mine!! 'Apple Schnapps' Shapps. As Zoe Brennan commented: 'Another minister who has supported efforts to prevent major projects is Grant Shapps, minister for housing and local government.'
In 2006, the same year that Clark was exercising his little brain cells to oppose New Labour housing plans, Shapps was also opposing proposals for new houses in his Welwyn Hatfield constituency.
Zoe Brennan wrote:
He even founded a popular ‘No Way to 10K’ campaign, resisting New Labour efforts to build 10,000 homes in his constituency. He backed the local newspaper’s ‘battle to save our green belt’, and filmed a YouTube clip decrying the building work.
He said: ‘The only way to object to these crazy plans is to do it yourself. If we leave it to everyone else to make the objections, well, the houses will go right here, on our green belt.’
Now, Mr 'Apple Schnapps' Shapps is right behind the Coalititon's NPPF. Recently, he was quoted as saying:
Like every good constituency MP, I’ll fight to ensure we get sustainable growth, not any growth.
He omits to mention that 'sustainable growth', in fact, over-rides local people's objections and favours developers. That is why there has been such a hue and cry throughout the land about it.
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2045296/Planning-law-reform-Tory-ministers-changes-oppose-backyard-developments.html#ixzz1Zw6ye7B9)
So now the massed forces of the great British Press are marshalling themselves to expose the rank hypocrisy of these high ranking ministers. The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian - and now The Daily Mail have all exposed it - Arturo and I have seen it.
Jack Neill-Hall, campaign spokesman for the Campaign to Protect Rural England is disillusioned. He is quoted as saying:
We need ministers to stop the rhetoric and take this consultation seriously. Their proposals will need significant improvements to give ordinary countryside the protection it deserves, but we believe this is possible if they are prepared to listen to advice other than from their friends in the construction industry.
And the response? 'Bagpuss' Pickles - the human wrecking ball - denies any suggestion of hypocrisy. As a rather infamous lady once said of another gentleman trying to deny the facts: 'He would, wouldn't he?'
"What's with these politicians?" Arturo asked me. "Do they think people are daft? Don't they know that we know what they've said in the past?"
"Ah, Arturo, my friend! They know that we know and they know that we know what they said. And we know that they know that we know, that they know that we know what they said." At that point I became confused!
"And?" Arturo asked.
"They don't give a tinker's cuss! 'Cos they think we'll forget that they know that we know that they know that we know what they said."
"Oh! Shut up!" Arturo said before slinking out to the kitchen!
'Bye' from Arturo
'Bye' from me
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