It is a sign of era of political cross-dressing that we live in that those Tories have started pretending they give a toss about the environment. They have shown that by opposing new laws obliging companies to do the right thing by the environment. The Daily doesn’t have an environment correspondent, but we’re told by those in the know that having cuddly Dave Cameron fly off in private jets all the time doesn’t do much good to the ozone either.
No one is being fooled – it’s good PR for the Tories but that’s about it.
No one is being fooled except Friends of the Earth, that is. The usually excellent campaign group – some of our best friends work there – have been caught out cosying up to the Tories several times over the last few months. But now they’ve gone a bit far. They have nominated Oliver Letwin for a charity award for services to the environment. Lots of people are saying that Friends of the Earth are giving the Tories the greenwash they so desperately need.
Click here to vote for Emily Thornberry (nominated by the World Wide Fund for Nature) or Eliot Morley (nominated by the Tree Council).
The Daily 
Well, they’re both going for the M&S smart casual look aren’t they?
FoTE’s regular donors may care to note that you can cancel a direct debit very easily by notifying your bank and the organisation concerned.
There are lots of other environmental organisations to give your money to – not all of whom are quite so smart casual with their principles.
To be fair to FoE (I’ve been feeling bad for slagging them off you see…) they are great on most things… they have done great work on corporations and supermarkets for example.
They shouldn’t be dressing down for the Tories, but The Daily is stopping short of calling for a boycott.
“they are great on most things”
Well, yeah but by most accounts Judas made a pretty good job of managing the disciples’ finances before he shopped Jesus to the Romans.
In fact, in my previous life as a journalist, I remember being called to a hilarious publicity stunt where FoTE delivered 30 pieces of silver to John Prescott for some reason or other.
Obviously he just scooped up the money and spent in on Jaguars and loose women but, in those days, in was the principle that mattered.
Judas was misunderstood!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4882420.stm
FoTE in bed with the tories?
It’s enough to make Maggie spin in her coffin, and yes, I know she’s not dead. 😉
Emily Thornberry is an increasingly interesting MP who has taken up a number of progressive causes as well as working v hard for her constituency. I’ve heard her speak in Parliament and at public meetings and been very impressed.
God alone knows why FoE have backed Letwin instead of her, particularly as she’s been very supportive of their recent campaign for corporate accountability. Too many people seem to have been blinded by Cameron’s apparent glamour recently.
Could it be because bourgeois environmentalists prefer to support people from their own class background?
Just a suggestion.