``His successful lobbying of Natural England to ban farmers from freely shooting pest birds on their land is an insult to the thousands of men and women who not only provide us with our food but devote their lives to caring for nature.
Many of these pest birds, such as magpies and crows, have seen their populations explode, posing a consequential risk to endangered song-bird species. As we reveal today, the decision has also thrown the game industry into crisis, threatening hundreds of jobs. Mr Packham and his ilk would apparently rather the countryside was a glorified wildlife park than a living, working place.
But why was the Natural England quango so ready to fold to his entreaties? The decision to require farmers to apply for individual licences was announced on the first day in the job for Tony Juniper, head of Natural England. Appointed to the position by Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, he stood for Parliament as a Green Party candidate and is a self-described “eco-warrior” who once headed up Friends of the Earth.``
