RSPB apologises for calling Tories ‘liars’ over green promises

Charity concedes ‘frustration’ at failure to uphold pledges ‘led us to attack people not policy’

(PA)

The RSPB has apologised for calling Rishi Sunak, Michael Gove and other Tory ministers “liars” over plans to scrap water pollution restrictions on housebuilding.

The conservation charity said sorry for attacking the senior politicians personally over the latest post-Brexit regulatory move – having posted the claims on X, formally known Twitter.

The organisation had written that ministers “said you wouldn’t weaken environmental protections”, before adding: “And yet that’s just what you are doing. You lie, and you lie, and you lie again.”

The RSPB initially said it stood by the comments – before later apologising and saying the post had fallen “below the standard we set ourselves".

The charity said “frustration” at ministers for “reneging on its environmental promises ... led us to attack the people not the policy”.

A spokesperson: “We will continue to campaign vigorously on behalf of nature but we will always do so in a polite and considered manner.”

Environmental campaigners have lashed out at the Sunak government after it confirmed that EU-era restrictions that force housebuilders to mitigate the impact of new developments on rivers will be scrapped.

Mr Gove, the levelling up secretary, defended plans to scrap “clunky” EU-era environmental protections on nutrient neutrality – hailing it as a Brexit benefit to boost housing.

Ben Caldecott, one of the RSPB’s trustees, had criticised the group’s reaction. “We can strongly disagree and make our case without calling people ‘LIARS!’” he posted on X, saying he had raised the issue with the charity’s chief executive.

RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight said on Thursday she did not approve a social media post labelling government ministers “liars”.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The reason that has made us so frustrated … is that it completely goes against the commitments that the government has made many times in the past, not to weaken environmental protections – most recently when the retained EU Law Bill was going through in the summer.”

“So, this completely contravenes those commitments and that’s what’s led us to be so frustrated and so angry about the proposed amendment coming through,” said Ms Speight.

She added: “So, the framing of that tweet, where we called out individual people, we felt was incorrect and inappropriate, and we apologise for that.”

The Wildlife Trusts said ministers had broken promises to “not lower environmental protections or standards”.

Clean rivers campaigner Feargal Sharkey has described the government’s scrapping of pollution rules as “a complete and utter shambles” and that “the environment has now been left to fend for itself.”