Bees. Widely considered to be one of, if not the most crucial species to the survival of ecosystems on our planet. After years of debate and scientific research, the Earthwatch institute (a European environmental charity) came to the conclusion that bees are in fact the most important living beings on planet earth. 

So why am I singing the praises of these striped heroes you may ask? Well, there exists a type of pesticide called “neonicotinoides” and as pesticides go this is a particularly nasty one. There are three types of this pesticide which were banned from the UK in 2018, and by 2020 all but one type of this chemical were outlawed. These pesticides were originally introduced as a “less harmful alternative” to other, more common chemicals. However, in the next few years they were seen to have devastating ecological effects, with the cause being that they greatly affected common pollinators, in particular bees, vastly reducing their numbers.

But this is old news, right? They’re banned aren’t they? They can’t cause any more harm? Wrong. In 2021 the government approved the “temporary” emergency usage of these pesticides (of which according to the wildlife trust one teaspoon is enough to provide a lethal dose for 1.25 billion bees) for sugar beet farmers. Earlier this year, Thérèse Coffey (the Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs) announced that for a third year running, this pesticide will continue to have a “temporary” emergency exemption.

If you take a comparison of two local MPs’ viewpoints on this scenario, Labour MP Luke Pollard just across the Tamar, has been running a wonderful campaign for a full ban on these pesticides. Compare this to the view of South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray, who on Politics South West earlier this month relayed her opinion that this emergency exemption should be extended to other farmers. 

If you have a temporary, emergency extension which has lasted for three years running and, under Mrs Murray’s suggestion, spreads to other crops, it’s not really banned, is it?

Mrs Murray’s already ghastly environmental record, having voted in favour of removing a requirement for sewerage companies to reduce sewage discharge into rivers and oceans, making a mockery of our idyllic coastlines in favour of keeping her job, looks even worse now. Even the monetary side of it makes absolutely no sense. According to the WWF, around 75 of leading global crops depend on animal pollinators such as bees, leading to about one of every three mouthfuls of food being owed to these incredible creatures. So this local MP, who is saying we should extend the exemption of these pesticides to other crops, after having apparently having listened to “her” farmers, is promoting a pesticide with dire consequences to our farming industry. 

What South East Cornwall needs is an MP who will work in favour of farmers and the environment, similar to what Luke Pollard is doing so well in Plymouth, and who will work for the people of the constituency. So vote Labour for a fairer, greener future.