Farmers ‘rightly angry’ about Government decision to reject Derbyshire badger cull

It is understood the Prime Minister’s partner Carrie Symonds, who is a long-standing opponent of the badger cull, agreed to meet Badger Trust chief executive Dominic Dyer to discuss the matter.

She is reported to be ‘delighted’ that the Government has refused the Derbyshire cull, though is denying any direct involvement in the decision.

Front page of tomorrow’s Telegraph: “Culling may raise bovine TB risk as badgers move to new habitats”

Hope the government will seriously consider ending the badger cull now. Despite 20,000 badgers being culled last year there has only been very “modest” impact on bovine TB. pic.twitter.com/lQFmEaIzmG

— Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds)

Front page of tomorrow’s Telegraph: “Culling may raise bovine TB risk as badgers move to new habitats”

Hope the government will seriously consider ending the badger cull now. Despite 20,000 badgers being culled last year there has only been very “modest” impact on bovine TB. pic.twitter.com/lQFmEaIzmG

— Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) November 12, 2018

Mr Dyer wrote to Boris Johnson last week to demand an immediate halt to any plans to extend the badger cull in England, suggesting nearly 68,000 badgers had been killed since 2013 through the ‘cruel, costly and ineffective’ method.

Science and evidence

Farmers were quick to react and the NFU said its members would be ‘rightly angry’ that a decision like this had been made at such a late stage.

A spokesperson said: “It is vital that the government sticks to the criteria when assessing if a cull can go ahead and is consistent in its assessment and conclusions.

“Farmers do not carry out culling lightly. It is a vital part of the government’s strategy to control this devastating disease and farmers will want reassurances from government that decisions are robust and are taken based on science and evidence, not for political reasons.”

It follows heightened local opposition in March last year from Derbyshire police and crime commissioner (PCC) Hardyal Dhindsa who said that vaccinating badgers was cheaper than culling and more effective in stemming the spread of bovine TB.

Earlier this week former government advisor and vet Professor Ranald Munro also wrote to Mr Johnson suggesting the badger cull had caused ‘immense pain’ and was not reducing TB in cattle.

He claimed in one area, incidence of the disease had gone up.

Defra has been encouraging badger vaccination in the Edge Area of England for bTB incidence, including through its Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme (BEVS), as part of the 25-year bovine TB eradication strategy.

A Defra spokesperson said: “The government has decided the proposed badger cull in Derbyshire should not be licensed this year while further consideration is given to how best manage the coexistence of vaccination projects and badger control projects in the Edge Area.”