Andrew RT Davies calls for RSPB to be stripped of charitable status
Emily Price
The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies has made calls for the RSPB to be stripped of its charitable status after the organisation branded UK Government ministers “liars”.
On Wednesday (August 30) the conservation charity accused Rishi Sunak, Michael Gove and Thérèse Coffey of breaking promises over environmental policies.
The charity launched a scathing attack on X, formerly known as Twitter in the form of a thread which began with the damning statement: “you said you wouldn’t weaken environmental protections. And yet that’s just what you are doing. You lie, and you lie, and you lie again. And we’ve had enough.”
Concerns
The post has racked up over 7m views and includes an image of the Prime Minister, the Housing Secretary and the Environment Secretary with large red letters that read: “LIARS”.
The thread went on to list concerns relating to plans to scrap pollution rules in favour of building new homes in England near sensitive areas such as rivers and waterways.
The charity which works to protect habitats and save species, later apologised for the post and said “frustration” had led it “to attack the people not the policy”.
Pledges
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, RSPB Chief Executive, Beccy Speight argued that the rules change on water protections “goes against” previous UK government pledges.
She denied that the RSPB was “entering politics”, but said that as a charity it had a role to “try and get the policy framing right”.
But the leader of the opposition in Wales has called for the UK’s largest conservation charity to have its charitable status removed entirely.
“Partisan”
Sharing the RSPB thread on social media, Mr Davies said: “This sort of partisan campaigning is far too prevalent in the third sector. Organisations that engage in naked political activity should be stripped of their charitable status.”
On Wednesday evening, the charity published an apology on social media.
It said: “This falls below the standard we set ourselves and for that we apologise. We will continue to campaign vigorously on behalf of nature but we will always do so in a polite and considered manner.”
Mr Davies was approached for comment but he did not respond.
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RSPB have apologised for this mistake. We’d expect to heart those responsible have been disciplined and attempts to make amends.
But not stripping of charitable status. Stonewall and Mermaids (already under investigation) are surely up for this severe punishment for promoting their ideology at government level, telling lies about the Equality law, after their campaigning to change the law failed
Now hatred directed at our little feathered friends. The best way to prevent these things occurring is to disband the alternative truth society whose members clearly do not tolerate truth when told.
The idiot is so desperate to be relevant he’ll say anything to get in the papers , a complete and utter waste of space
Davies ought to tell his Westminster controllers not to tell so many lies instead of attacking the RSPB for essentially telling the truth.
Is that right RT Davies? Well I call for lying politicians to be stripped of political status. We don’t all get what we want just because we huff and puff. Deal with it.
Davies should be stripped of his status as a human being.
Oh! He already did that.
The only way Mr Davies could be ‘stripped of his status as a human being’ would be if he were to die. As Mr Davies hardly deserves to die simply because you disagree with him, your comment manages to be both offensive and ridiculous.
What sad waste of public money he is…1.2 million twitchers agree…
The offending tweet (x?) is clearly labeled RSPB England and the 3 politicians targeted all sit as English MPs. Why is Mr Davies, a proud Welshman (I presume), interfering in an internal English matter?
All charities should not have tax exemption. The Victorian Liberals knew this as it puts more burden on poor people and gives advantages to wealthy philanthropists. The RSPB is not high on my list of organisations requiring removal of charity status. Some of the fake charities allowed by David Cameron like The General Medical Council and the Waterways Trust should go first. We now have massive taxation and yet governments avoid paying for as much as possible offloading more costs on the people. Perhaps Andrew RT Davies could ask himself why Conservatives have managed to achieve this mess.
Does he also think that the countryside alliance be robbed of its charitable status as it promotes field sports that include hunting with dogs
RT and his Tories eh! the Fat Shanks effect has made the UK rotten to its core, it will collapse into a pile of rubble…
But they have told lies, below is a video of Mr Gove telling people that after Brexit , British people living in the EU would not be affected, and you could still retire to the EU with no problems, just as you could when we were members.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=http://www.bremaininspain.com/news/michael-goves-promise-uk-citizens-eu-100-legal/%23:~:text%3DDuring%2520a%2520TV%2520debate%2520he,they%2520choose%2520in%2520the%2520future.&ved=2ahUKEwiy7LSe14mBAxU5W0EAHdl-BbAQFnoECBYQBQ&usg=AOvVaw2waD6UzuRX1QlCDwcysNiE
I’d prefer for charities to be banned from having anyone on their board from shady political think tanks whose source of funding is unknown.
Fool
So this guy wants the RSPB to be punished for speaking the truth!!
Davies does remind me of a Cockatoo, perhaps he is the greater purple cockatoo.
Mr Davies, ever the tub thumper for his masters. The RSPB were correct, demonstarbly so, influence from tufton st needs to be investigated and if Mr Davies does not like the truth, the the Conservative Party is where he belongs, the party is just a pet project for far right idiology now.
Funny, Conservative clown Andrew RT Davies calls for the RSPB to be stripped of its charitable status but is quite happy to see Eton get an 80% tax break with its charitable status as state schools suffer.. This idiocrat should never be in charge of a boot saie stall let alone a country.
Our native birds need us more than ever before . This is just a ruse to rid any activism that defends what remains of our countryside and enables large property masons to have free reign. We really need to call a general election on these tricksters. I can’t remember the last time we had one . More importantly we really need as individuals to be conscious of what’s happening in our own communities and use compassionate , common sense to find solutions. In a rapidly changing climate ,the RSPB and other bird and tree , nature charities are critical to… Read more »