Wage war on nature to build new homes: that's Labour's offer, but it's a con trick | George Monbiot

"Crucial to the government's war on nature is the cauldron principle. If a species is to be blamed for holding up development, it must be one you might find in a witch's cauldron. The culprits are never dormice, otters, water voles, nightingales, turtle doves or orchids, widely considered cute or beautiful. They are bats, newts, snails and spiders. Bats and newts have been blamed by successive governments for nastily standing in the way of growth."

"The jumping spiders are among 200 rare invertebrate species living on the Swanscombe peninsula in Kent, officially protected for nature. It also harbours marsh harriers, bearded tits and several scarce plant species. It's of tremendous importance to local people as a crucial green space. The nature reserve has done nothing to stop Ebbsfleet Garden City from going ahead. What developers were seeking to build on the peninsula was not homes, but a theme park."

"But Starmer, making it up as he goes along, has reduced the issue to spiders v people. Last week, the Guardian revealed that the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, boasted to corporate executives that she has unblocked a large housing development in Sussex being held up by some snails a protected species or something microscopic snails that you cannot even see. This bring us to another principle: as the war on nature proceeds, ministers sound ever more like Donald Trump."

Governments frequently portray certain protected species as impediments to development, focusing on uncharismatic animals such as bats, newts, snails and spiders. Politicians claim these species halt projects and frame conservation as conflicting with growth. The Swanscombe peninsula hosts around 200 rare invertebrates, marsh harriers, bearded tits and scarce plants and is officially protected, yet the contested development proposal was a theme park rather than housing. Ministers report unblocking projects blocked by tiny snails, including the little whirlpool ramshorn snail, an indicator of unpolluted fresh water. Political rhetoric often diminishes the ecological importance of scarce habitats to favor development.

Read at www.theguardian.com