From Spider Bites to Scorpion Stings: DEFRA’s Leadership Labyrinth

On a rather dreich stroll across Urra Moor, the swirling clouds over Bilsdale managed to inject a bit of interest into an otherwise lacklustre affair.

Now, I had it in my notes to have a whinge about Thérèse Coffey’s decimation of the 2010 consensus concerning the future of our public paths. Today seems an opportune moment.

This consensus, the denouement of a “stakeholder working group” established to advise the government, comprised experienced members representing the interests of users, local authorities, and landowners. Coffey, with discerning selectivity, plucked recommendations from the group’s report, “Stepping Forward,” discarding those opposed by landowners¹Ashbrook, Kate. 2023. ‘Coffey Kowtows to Landowners and Destroys Public-Path Consensus’, Open Spaces Society <https://www.oss.org.uk/coffey-kowtows-to-landowners-and-destroys-public-path-consensus/> [accessed 27 October 2023].

On Coffey’s direct instruction, the government has now taken the irreversible step of imposing a deadline on the recording of historic paths for the Definitive Map. This will revoke our rights on unrecorded historic paths on January 1, 2026, now pushed back to 2031. The working group had agreed that the regulations should list circumstances exempting the extinguishment of those rights — for example, paths in use, urban areas, and those subject to applications to record paths.

Coffey, without consultation, opted to impose a deadline on the recording of such historic paths, a core proposal of the report²Specifically Number 26. The consequence is that users are left with a considerable amount of work to do to claim the thousands of unrecorded routes in use before the deadline, overwhelming already stretched local authorities processing these applications. Many will inevitably be missed, and after 2031, the public may unexpectedly be barred from paths in use for centuries.

The working group had toiled for 15 years to implement this intricate legislation. “Stepping Forward” was a balanced report incorporating compromises from all parties. Yet, the environment secretary disrupted the consensus by favouring proposals that benefit landowners.

In the aftermath of Covid, public access to the countryside has never been more crucial, and our path network is the most popular means of gaining that access. Coffey’s hasty and biased move will result in the loss of thousands of public paths.

Now, Coffey has resigned, presumably to avoid the disgrace of being sacked.

So, out goes a venomous spider, and in comes a poisonous scorpion. The venom remains potent in its effect.

There have been numerous DEFRA Secretaries of State, making it challenging to keep track. The last six were Michael Gove, Theresa Villiers, George Eustice, Ranil Jayawardena (remember him?), Therese Coffey, and now Steve Barclay. Barclay, the man who until recently has been the latest to continue the systematic destruction of the NHS, is now “demoted” to DEFRA. Will he bring his expertise as a commercial solicitor and show as much concern for the environment as Coffey? Coffey, under whose watch water companies flouted rules, consistently pumping sewage into rivers and seas.

Barclay is quite articulate in the media, eloquently defending his intransigence against those pesky nurses and doctors.

But how will he charm his wife if he penalises the water companies? His wife, Karen Barclay, who holds a senior role in Anglian Water, which is currently subject to scrutiny due to the examination of potential wrongdoing concerning the improper disposal of untreated sewage³Laville, Sandra. 2023. ‘Alarm Raised over Water Firm Job of New Environment Secretary’s Wife’, The Guardian (The Guardian) <https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/14/possible-conflict-of-interest-for-new-environment-secretary-steve-barclay-anglian-water-sewage> [accessed 14 November 2023]. A potential conflict of interest — oh, to be a fly on that wall.

• 1
  Ashbrook, Kate. 2023. ‘Coffey Kowtows to Landowners and Destroys Public-Path Consensus’, Open Spaces Society <https://www.oss.org.uk/coffey-kowtows-to-landowners-and-destroys-public-path-consensus/> [accessed 27 October 2023]
• 2
  Specifically Number 26
• 3
  Laville, Sandra. 2023. ‘Alarm Raised over Water Firm Job of New Environment Secretary’s Wife’, The Guardian (The Guardian) <https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/14/possible-conflict-of-interest-for-new-environment-secretary-steve-barclay-anglian-water-sewage> [accessed 14 November 2023]