55,000 THANK YOUS!
That’s how many have signed up to Mail litter campaign ... in just 2 weeks
NEARLY 55,000 publicspirited citizens have signed up to the Daily Mail’s campaign to clean up Britain.
The volunteer army will wage war on the litter blighting our towns and countryside.
Run in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, the Great British Spring Clean was launched at the end of last month. But by 5pm last night, 54,587 of our readers had enlisted – enough to fill Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium.
They will take part in litter pickups from March 22 to April 23 in what should be the year’s largest environmental event.
Michael Gove last night praised the campaign and its volunteers.
The Environment Secretary said: ‘Litter is a blight on society and chokes our rivers, marine environment and wildlife.
‘I’d urge everyone to join me in signing up to take part, and spare a few hours to make a real difference in their community.’
The National Trust, the RSPCA and the Church of England have
backed the campaign along with councils, schools and businesses.
Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Sir David Attenborough and Prince William have all expressed their support.
Commenting on the surge in volunteers last night, Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: ‘It is wonderful to see this groundswell of support for the Great British Spring Clean from communities, local authorities and businesses.
‘After just two weeks, more than 50,000 people have already pledged their support and we are seeing the numbers rise steadily as we aim for our target of 500,000 volunteers taking action to clean up the litter pollution that blights our country.’
Julian Kirby, a plastics campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: ‘It’s great news that tens of thousands of people across the country are showing their concern for the plastic that’s polluting our towns, cities and countryside by signing up to the Great British Spring Clean.’
He added: ‘Ministers and businesses must build on this enormous enthusiasm with tougher measures to cut down on the pointless plastic that blights our lives and environment.’
Last year’s Spring Clean event prompted 370,000 volunteers to take to their streets, beaches and parklands to collect litter. It is hoped this year’s will be even bigger – with the aim being to recruit half a million.
Girl Guides and the Women’s Institute, as well as staff of major firms including Marks & Spencer, are taking part in the clean-up.
The idea is to give the country a thorough tidy and raise awareness of the dangers of dropping litter.
Leaving rubbish on the street is more than just unsightly.
Plastic can last in the land or sea for hundreds of years, and can harm wildlife which eats it or becomes entangled in it.
Paul Morozzo, a plastics campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see more than 50,000 people ready to roll up their sleeves and help rid their communities of the scourge of litter, especially plastic.
‘If we want to tackle the problem at the source, we need to see businesses and government show the same enthusiasm for concrete action. Setting clear reduction targets for single-use plastics and introducing a bottle return scheme would go some way toward stopping the flood of waste polluting our streets, rivers and beaches.’
This week TV naturalists including Steve Backshall, Michaela Strachan and Bill Oddie threw their support behind the campaign. Backshall said: ‘I have seen first hand the damage litter can do to wildlife but this is something that isn’t just happening in far-off places.
‘Litter in our country kills or injures thousands of animals every year and once it goes into our seas the damage continues.’
The Daily Mail has long campaigned against the scourge of plastic in the environment.
This newspaper helped put pressure on politicians and businesses which led to the introduction of charges on single-use plastic bags and the ban on toxic plastic microbeads in cosmetics.
The number of volunteers signed up to this year’s Great British Spring Clean has now exceeded the 20,000 who took part in the Daily Mail’s Great Plastic Pick Up last year.
Our Christmas campaign with charity Helpforce recruited 30,000 readers who have offered to volunteer in the NHS.
Mr Gove is also promoting the Government’s new ‘Keep It, Bin It’ campaign in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy in an attempt to curb littering. It simply asks the public to put litter in a bin or keep hold of it until one can be found.
DURING the wildly hyperbolic referendum campaign, Leave promised voters that quitting the European Union would see the UK take back control of its borders.
With net annual migration peaking at 336,000 (equivalent to a city the size of Nottingham), and placing massive pressure on housing, schools and hospitals, this was an extraordinarily seductive message.
For many of the 17.4million people who chose Brexit, ending Europe’s free movement rules seemed a desirable step.
So they would be forgiven for feeling deceived if, as a report predicts today, net migration surges to record highs of nearly 400,000 a year after leaving.
Surely they might be entitled to ask, why didn’t Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and their Leave-backing friends make this plain in the heat of battle?
True, post-Brexit we will be able to decide exactly who we allow in. For the first time in decades, we will not be compelled to accept all-comers from the EU. But Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s immigration plan would throw open the doors to non-EU workers – making it easier for hundreds of thousands to get visas.
Let us be crystal clear: the Mail is in no way against immigration. Indeed, the vast majority of migrants are upstanding, hardworking citizens who make a huge contribution to our economy and society.
Myriad organisations – from the NHS to farms and tech start-ups – rely on overseas labour. But without it, firms would be forced to invest in home-grown talent.
Regaining control of our borders was a priority for many backing Brexit – believing migration would fall. If it soars, they’ll have one more reason to distrust politicians.