Ben Goldsmith slapped down by Scots Minister for 'overgrazing' comments

Mr Goldsmith, who was appointed a non-executive director to the Defra board by former Defra Secretary Michael Gove in March 2018, began the exchange by tweeting: “You have to be wilfully blind not to see that great swathes of Scotland’s Highlands have been overgrazed to nothingness by countless winter fed deer and heavily subsidised sheep.”

Mr Ewing immediately countered with: “Fortunately Mr Goldsmith has no role now or in the future with land management in Scotland.”

Within minutes Mr Goldsmith responded: “You are on the wrong side of history Fergus. Public meetings organised by the like of Scotland: The Big Picture [a rewilding group] are packed. The era of bare hills grazed lifeless by heavily subsidised (English) sheep and herds of winter fed deer are coming to an end.”

👇 Fortunately Mr Goldsmith has no role now or in the future in land management in Scotland. t.co/Mo4WczVbJ2

— Fergus Ewing MSP (@FergusEwingMSP)

\uD83D\uDC47 Fortunately Mr Goldsmith has no role now or in the future in land management in Scotland. https://t.co/Mo4WczVbJ2

— Fergus Ewing MSP (@FergusEwingMSP) October 4, 2019

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You’re on the wrong side of history Fergus. Public meetings across Scotland organised by the likes of @ScotlandTBP are packed. The era of bare hills grazed lifeless by heavily subsidised (English) sheep and hordes of winter-fed deer are coming to an end. t.co/BCK63JusJG

— Ben Goldsmith (@BenGoldsmith)

You’re on the wrong side of history Fergus. Public meetings across Scotland organised by the likes of @ScotlandTBP are packed. The era of bare hills grazed lifeless by heavily subsidised (English) sheep and hordes of winter-fed deer are coming to an end. https://t.co/BCK63JusJG

— Ben Goldsmith (@BenGoldsmith) October 4, 2019

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