The UK government has no plans to meet its target for everyone to live within a 15-minute walk of a green space, the Guardian can reveal.
Ministers have also scrapped an idea to make the target for access to nature legally binding, a freedom of information request submitted by the Right to Roam campaign shows.
Launching the plans earlier this year, the then-environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, congratulated herself for the idea: “I am particularly pleased by our pledge in this plan to bring access to a green or blue space within 15 minutes’ walk of everyone’s homes – whether that be through parks, canals, rivers, countryside or coast,” she said.
But in response to a freedom of information request, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “No assessment has yet gone to ministers on options for how to progress towards the commitment.”
Cannot see any party supporting it.
But I’d love to see the arguments from all parties against the idea. Just for fun.
If somehow the public started a huge campaign to invoke a law. That required an election if a party broke over a set number of stated political promises or goals.
Perhaps we should hold political election promises to the same standards as advertising, product and trade promises?
If a foodstuff states on the packaging it contains a certain list of ingredients, but it turns out to be incorrect in any way, generally it has to be either recalled or re-labelled - and depending on the severity of the ingredient mishap (i.e. allergies), we’d expect consumer compensation and possibly fines or jail time.
If you paid a plumber £2,000 for fitting a new boiler, but they instead simply took the money and didn’t do what was promised, you’d call the police. You’d expect a full refund, or the work to be done, possibly some compensation, possibly a fine or prison time for the criminal who tried to scam you.
It’s also the case that is a product starts doing something you didn’t ask it to, you generally have a case for false advertising, and if the thing it’s doing could be considered harmful then blah blah blah etc get in jail.
Whether it’s throwing your entire environmental policy in the bin, promising £350 million a week off of a bus, or introducing new policies to destroy the lives of the disabled, poor and homeless, I think the lack of accountability has got a little out of hand.
P.S. Boris Johnson & the Brexit Campaign’s bus slogan now owes the NHS approximately £127 billion.
》 we’d expect consumer compensation and possibly fines or jail time.
We would expect it. But honestly fines are rare and not very effective when implemented. The horse meat scandals was huge news for a few weeks.
But honestly I’d want way more from political representatives then LTD protection provides to corps. Its bloody rare to see the decision makers feel any negative with corp actions.
Maybe something like. All running MPs must declare there political intent officially for each election. By answering a questionaire formed and approved by local voters. Something like 50% of registered voters must express an opinion on the questions submitted.
If the MP wins and something like 10% of his palimentary votes fail to meet these promised ideals a new election is automatic.
This puts a weight on voters to clearly involve themselves beyond party politics.
Requires MPs to consider local more then party when voting. Minimising the ability of party whip to overthrow local representation.
Of course FPTP would still force people to dilute there opinions based on national power. But that’s a diff argument.
red tories 🤝 blue tories
breaking promises that would improve life for everyone
I mean, anyone who believes such a claim from a politician deserves to be let down when it turns out it was a lie.
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Yes, politicians are the problem. Doesn’t mean I won’t find it laughable someone trusts what they say.
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The claim was ridiculous even when it comes to politician standards.
laugh at people who don’t
That’s not really my case, I generally don’t make fun of people for being naive.
I’m not trying to change anyone, I’m just pointing out something that’s very obvious to me. I don’t quite care if people believe them, that’s really your choice.
Just because it’s predictable doesn’t mean we don’t get to complain about it.
True.
Did People honestly believe they’d spend the money to do this?
TBH this was never going to work. They would never put in the effort to make it happen.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Ministers have also scrapped an idea to make the target for access to nature legally binding, a freedom of information request submitted by the Right to Roam campaign shows.
But in response to a freedom of information request, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “No assessment has yet gone to ministers on options for how to progress towards the commitment.”
The documents reveal that the government rejected the idea of making the target legally binding, meaning it does not have to fulfil its promise.
Guy Shrubsole, from the Right to Roam campaign, said: “A year after making their access commitment, ministers still have no idea how on earth to meet it.
And having rejected setting a legal target for increasing access, the government is clearly only interested in spinning good headlines rather than improving the nation’s health and wellbeing.
“Work is ongoing to develop an approach to monitoring and evaluating our vital commitment that every household should be within a 15-minute walk of a green space or water.”
The original article contains 424 words, the summary contains 171 words. Saved 60%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
