Research Policy and Review 8. Party Political Approaches to Rural Conservation in Britain

The three main political groupings in Britain (the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, and the Liberal/Social Democratic Party Alliance), the two nationalist parties (Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party), and the Ecology Party are now unanimous in accepting conservation as a legitimate policy goal. But they are far from unanimous when it comes to proposing the means by which conservation goals should be achieved. These party divisions are particularly marked in relation to the most critical rural conservation issue of the day, that is, the extent to which agriculture and forestry should be controlled to benefit conservation interests. This paper is a review of the relevant policies of the six main political parties. It identifies in particular those that advocate an extension of planning controls and whether to farming but not forestry, to forestry but not farming, or to both these activities. This produces interesting contrasts from which, by their willingness to implement controls that favour conservation, it is tempting to judge the parties' conservation credentials. But, although all six parties view conservation as a desirable goal, it is, for all but one, subordinate to more important aims and ideals. As such, it may not be surprising that conservation policies appear to reflect party ideology and interest rather than conservation commitment.