08 December 2023 , 15:46
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BBC Springwatch presenter and conservationist Chris Packham was sacked as a patron of a bird charity because his political views "split" its membership.
The 62-year-old had been linked with bird of prey rehabilitation centre Raptor Rescue since the early 90s, but was let go when he became too "outspoken" in other areas. According to the charity's chairman, Mr Robbins, when he advised activists to break the law to fight for environmental causes, it was a step too far. The organisation finally removed him from their website after cutting ties with him previously, saying that "irrespective" of anyone's personal views, the charity couldn't support him.
Chris Packham is taking the government to court (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Robbins said: "He was a patron, but we hadn't heard from him in a long time, he hadn't done anything for the charity, and we couldn't contact him.The other reason we decided to remove him was he started to get more and more political in his views and that didn’t sit well with our members either."
Packham recently compared the Just Stop Oil protest group to the Suffragettes, claiming breaking the law when campaigning against climate change policies was "ethically responsible", as long as nobody gets hurt.
Speaking to Radio Times in September, he said: "The Suffragettes set fire to things, smashed a lot of glass, attacked people on the street. And in apartheid, they were blowing up trains, blowing up factories. What the climate movement is grudgingly having to accept is that maybe that radical flank will develop.
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"At the moment, no one is blowing up an oil refinery, but a lot of people think that is very likely to happen."
Chris has advised activists that breaking the law might be the only way (Getty Images)Chris has recently returned to social media, taking to Twitter on Thursday evening to share his opinion on Rishi Sunak's Net Zero policies, revealing he was taking legal action. He wrote: "I believe the PM broke the law when he delayed Net Zero back in September.
"The govt are under obligation from the Climate Change Act to meet Net Zero by 2050 through their own Carbon Budget – this can't be abandoned on a whim. That's why I'm taking them to the High Court."
On a fundraiser to pay for legal costs, Chris and his followers have already raised more than £81,000 out of a £100,000 target. The crowdfunding page reads: "The decisions to delay and abandon key Net Zero policies and proposals were made by Claire Coutinho MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for Transport on the same day they were announced by the PM.
"The decisions flout decision-making processes set down in the Climate Change Act 2008 to ensure legally binding targets for emission reductions can be met and undermine years of careful policy making on these issues."