When Tony Juniper was appointed as Chairman of Natural England in March 2019 many people involved in conservation felt that this was a turning point. At that time Juniper was an active conservationist, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at the World Wide Fund for Nature and member of the Green Party. He had stood as a Green candidate for the Cambridge constituency in the 2010 general election and, although he came fourth he more than doubled his party’s percentage of the vote. With a background like this we and many others expected great things. Sadly we were wrong. Since Tony’s appointment the desperate situation at Natural England has become even worse. The much trumpeted publicity about the “success” of the Hen Harrier brood meddling program and a huge increase in the roll out of the discredited badger cull being two of the many embarrassments. Natural England is now a failing organisation with a name and a chairman that many see as a sick joke.

To those to whom we expressed our hopes for and support of Tony Juniper when he was appointed as chairman we offer our sincerest apologies. We were wrong.