Blaming bats and newts for the housing problem is straight from the Trump playbook

Keir Starmer and senior government ministers have taken to the bizarre habit of blaming bats, newts and even jumping spiders for Britain’s housing shortage and inadequate infrastructure. For those living through the crisis with eye-watering rents, cold homes and exploitative landlords, this finger-pointing is absurd. Yet ministers have claimed that wildlife laws stopped a new town in Kent, delayed HS2 and blocked new housing.

It’s nonsense, and it’s also worse than that. By scapegoating wildlife and environmental protections, the government is not only undermining its 2024 manifesto pledges to protect nature – it is sliding into Trumpian, post-truth politics.

False claims have real consequences. They erode public trust, distract from the real causes of the housing crisis and hand even more power to developers who game the system.

Read more:

• Rachel Reeves sets Labour on collision course with environmentalists over ‘bats and newts’
• From solarpunk to the metaverse: The way we think about the future needs to change
• Is Labour really declaring war on allotments? Let’s dig into the detail

Britain’s lack of affordable homes stems from a broken housing market, certain developers land-banking sites instead of building and years of political failure. But that hasn’t stopped the government claiming, for example, that delays and runaway billions on HS2 are caused by wildlife laws, rather than chronic mismanagement and the absence of cost control. In short, ministers seem more comfortable blaming bats than addressing the real problems.

These false narratives provide political cover for the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, now before parliament. In its current form, the bill risks undoing hard-won protections for habitats and wildlife. If passed, it would tilt planning even further towards development in the pursuit of growth at all costs. This is the exact model that has left the UK with polluted rivers, depleted wildlife and so many neighbourhoods cut off from nature.

The deeper danger is that the government risks normalising a politics where facts are optional. If nature laws can be singled out today, then climate commitments, clean air standards or workers’ rights could be next. Post-truth politics may seem convenient now, but this approach erodes the government’s credibility on the biggest challenges of our age – from climate breakdown to social justice.

The choice is not between homes and habitats, or jobs and nature. We can and must have both. Planning rooted in truth and respect for nature can provide genuinely affordable housing, thriving communities and a healthier environment. The government should seize this chance to strengthen nature protections in the bill, not weaken them.

Because the truth is this: every time we pit nature against progress, we end up with neither. That argument only leads to empty promises, dirty rivers and communities locked out of decent housing. But when we plan housing in harmony with nature, we create space for wildlife and places people are proud to call home.

The UK already has too many bland and poorly insulated homes cut off from public transport, medical services and green space. As this government pushes ahead with massive housebuilding programmes, it is critical that every new home and building modification protects existing habitats and creates additional natural areas. That means connecting habitats through urban design, creating wetlands and ponds to help prevent flooding, and sensibly building on previously developed land instead of bulldozing habitats in the name of profit.

It wasn’t long ago that Labour pledged to be the government that would restore trust in politics and protect nature for future generations. It must live up to that promise. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a huge test. The outcome will show whether this administration is serious about building a fairer, greener future or content to allow a handful of people to line their pockets, as nature and communities pay the price.

Paul de Zylva is a nature campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Reader-funded since 1991 – Big Issue brings you trustworthy journalism that drives real change.

Every day, our journalists dig deeper, speaking up for those society overlooks.

Could you help us keep doing this vital work? Support our journalism from £5 a month.