PM accused over badger cull ‘U-turn’

NFU in court claim over badger policy

RURAL: The Prime Minister and his partner Carrie Symonds let a “personal interest” influence a Government “U-turn” on badger culling to control bovine tuberculosis, a judge heard.

Farmers’ leaders who lost their court bid against a decision to abandon a cull in Derbyshire, said the move would leave livestock breeders “devastated”.

BORIS JOHNSON and his partner Carrie Symonds let a “personal interest” influence a Government “U-turn” on badger culling measures to control bovine tuberculosis, a judge heard.

Farmers’ leaders who lost their High Court challenge against a decision to abandon a cull in Derbyshire, said the move would leave livestock breeders “completely devastated”.

The National Farmers’ Union had claimed that the decision against culling, taken last September, was “irrational” and that the real reason was the personal interest taken by the Prime Minister after a meeting between Ms Symonds and the chief executive of the Badger Trust, Dominic Dyer, in Downing Street.

The Environment Secretary, George Eustice, denied that the decision was irrational.

Mrs Justice Andrews, who analysed arguments at a High Court hearing over Skype, ruled in the Government’s favour and dismissed the union challenge.

Stuart Roberts, deputy president of the NFU, said he was “shocked and dismayed” by the judge’s ruling, adding that September’s announcement was “a complete U-turn on established Government policy”.

Mr Roberts said: “The 11thhour direction by the Secretary of State was made against absolutely all the scientific and veterinary advice and left farmers in

the Derbyshire area, who met all the licence criteria, completely devastated.

“Many of them had seen this cull as their last hope at dealing with this awful disease, which has been devastating their cattle

We are shocked and dismayed by the judge’s ruling.

Stuart Roberts, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union. herds and crippling their business for years.”

Maya Lester QC, who led the union’s legal team, told the judge that Mr Johnson was “personally interested in the outcome of this particular licensing decision”.

She said: “The real reason for the direction was that, from around August 22, 2019, the Prime Minister took a personal interest in the cull licensing decision.”

Mr Dyer had been quoted in a newspaper article as saying he had “every reason to believe this decision was taken as a direct intervention by the Prime Minister” following his lobbying, which included meeting Mr Johnson’s partner in Downing Street, Ms Lester said.

Sir James Eadie QC, who led Mr Eustice’s legal team, told the judge, that the decision was “plainly not irrational” and that the idea that there was “something sinister” about Mr Johnson’s involvement was “unsustainable”.

Mrs Justice Andrews said, in a written ruling, that the decision was not irrational.

“The decision was a difficult one which involved the exercise of complex political and ethical value judgments of a type which are quintessentially matters for the democratically accountable decision-maker,” said the judge.

Badgers have previously been culled in an attempt to stop them spreading bovine TB but the Government halted the practice, opting instead to vaccinate the animals, following campaigning by anti-animal cruelty activists.