Our Greenest Government Ever has now turned its preferred colour to Gold!

What a joke, but what a tragedy.  As each week goes by it becomes infinitely clearer that this Tory Government has no interest in our natural environment , our natural heritage or anything that might be tinged with green, particularly Government policies. Where is that Greenest Government of yesteryear so loudly proclaimed by David Cameron ? In a nutshell, sidelined by the avowed contestant for the next position of Prime Minister, George Osborne, whose primary intention is to debase planning regulations and supportive policies for our environment in parallel with his functions as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

One wonders where the cuts will come in the £40 million spending review of DEFRA's budget. Natural England has already been cut to the quick and reduced to an emasculated caricature of its former self , so surely no further savings should be expected. But let's see!

In a fascinating piece on the Guardian website today, see this link Nine green policies killed off by Tory Government , Adam Vaughan and Terry Macalister reveal nine green policies that have been scrapped or are about to be.  Read the full details as it's an interesting article.

• scrapping support for onshore wind projects
• solar subsidies to be axed
• biomass subsidies hit
• the "green deal" killed off
• selling off the green investment bank
• reducing the incentive to buy a green car
• giving up on zero carbon homes
• fracking to be allowed in SSSI's 
• goodbye to green tax target

Speculation is also rising about tidal power falling from favour and subsidies being withdrawn. And foremost amongst remaining contenders are offshore wind schemes, which are more costly than onshore facilities and already have a phalanx of critics.

A statement recently saying George Osborne was an astute politician was somewhat banal in my book. Stripping out Government expenditure to such a degree that it's inevitable the deficit will look more healthy in five years time is pretty superficial stuff, but will paint its architect in a favourable light. In the meantime our environment will be much the poorer and our heritage placed under siege, but certain people , the favoured minority, will be appreciably more wealthy either through relaxed regulation or enhanced opportunities. Such facilities encourage its constituents to worship enthusiastically at the altar of Mammon and ensure our Greenest Government Ever can rebrand itself and clothe everything in GOLD ( !!!!!! ) including Goldfinger George. He and others may yet have time to turn to more meaningful aspects of Government, such as a revocation of the Fox Hunting Ban as a token feature of countryside values. Where will it all end?