- Win for the campaign led by Plymouth MP to save the bees
Luke’s campaign to save the bees has been a success after the Government announced that bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides will not be used this year.
The announcement came after 22,000 people co-signed the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP’s letter to the Prime Minister asking him to reverse the lifting of the ban on neonicotinoid pesticides and #SaveTheBees.
Luke had forced a vote in the House of Commons where Labour MPs voted to protect the ban on bee-killing pesticides while Plymouth’s Conservative MPs voted to allow the lifting of the ban potentially threatening bee populations.
The Government cites weather conditions as the reason behind its decision and has not ruled out using these damaging bee-killing pesticides in the future. However, the success of the #SaveTheBees letter shows how controversial the decision to lift the ban on the pesticide has been.
Luke Pollard MP said:
“Bee health is non-negotiable. I’m delighted to see that neonicotinoids will not be used on crops this year. Bees are essential to Britain’s wildlife and biodiversity. Labour supports our farmers, but allowing bee-killing pesticides is not the solution to helping them address crop blight.
“People in Plymouth love bees. We want to see our pollinators brought back to health and that means ensuring that these bee-killing pesticides are never used again.
“We must keep pushing the Government to ensure that neonicotinoids aren’t just not used this year, but are permanently banned again. It is vital to making sure our countryside flourishes.”