What does Boris Johnson's new cabinet mean for the future of shooting?

This week has seen a flurry of activity from Westminster. Rather like pheasants in a poorly managed drive, all the news has come in a single flush. On the morning of Wednesday 12th February came an answer to a written parliamentary question about Wild Justice’s attempt to have game bird releases banned in much of England, in which we learned that the anti-shooting campaign group’s demand that a decision be made ahead of Summer 2020 had been rebuffed. Later the same day came an announcement that the temporary General Licenses have been extended until August, much to the relief of farmers and pigeon shooters everywhere.

A cynic might feel that there was a bit of traditional political skulduggery going on here, given the impending reshuffle of Boris Johnson’s cabinet, which took place yesterday, Thursday 13th February. An astute politician (there’s some debate as to whether this includes Theresa Vililers or not) would use the cover of the media circus surrounding the reshuffle to push out any news that they would rather went a bit under the radar. Especially if they had an inkling that the reshuffle might seem them collecting their p45 the following day.

 

So, two good pieces of news for the countryside community were quietly released within the space of a few hours. But what of the reshuffle itself, and what might it mean for shooting? Let us first consider Villiers’ replacement at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice.

 

 

A Cornishman by birth, the MP for Cranborne and Redruth has been Minister of State for Agriculture Fisheries and Food since 2015, and comes from farming stock - his family own Trevaskis Farm in Cornwall, a fruit farm with an associated restaurant and shop. Compared with the famously vegan Villiers, Eustice appears to be more good news for the countryside and those who love it.

 

BASC certainly seem to think so. Christopher Graffius, the organisation’s director of communications and public affairs, said: “George Eustice is a farmer with a sound knowledge of the environment and rural affairs. His appointment means that we have a real countryman at the helm and this can only be of benefit to conservation, shooting and rural affairs.”

 

Eustice has been fairly tight-lipped on the subject of shooting, but in 2019 he did introduce a bill that aims to update the laws surrounding the shooting of hares by creating a close-season during the animal's breeding season.

 

Elsewhere in the reshuffle, we see Sajid Javid fall on his sword, thereby making room for Rishi Sunak’s promotion from chief secretary to the Treasury to Chancellor of the Exchequer. Although Rishi may not be a household name, GunsOnPegs readers may recall his helpful clarification on the General Licenses debacle in these very pages.

 

 

Rishi, who is MP for the rural constituency of Richmond in Yorkshire, is a keen shot and has spoken passionately in defence of grouse shooting and the shooting industry’s contribution to the rural economy, and wildlife diversity, and defended the use of controlled muirburn on heather moorland.  He has highlighted the importance of shooting to the beauty of the UK’s landscape, and signed a letter urging shoots to join the British Game Alliance. 

 

 

So, given the stays of execution issued by Defra on game bird releases and the general licenses, will this new cabinet hail a happier time for shooting? It certainly appears that we will have some more powerful voices in our corner for the foreseeable future, which may well help to head Wild Justice off at the pass.