Bye Bye Mr Benyon, Hello Mr Eustice !

boatone

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Dunno how I missed this and have seen nothing about it in the boating press, but in the recent government reshuffle Richard Benyon, the Minister responsible for navigation within DEFRA, was replaced by George Eustice, the MP for Camborne and Redruth in Cornwall. Well, thats ok then we've got a real local lad on the job now ! :D

According to the Daily Mail on Monday:
The Prime Minister began his 'flat cap' reshuffle by firing Mr Benyon, the heir to a £125million family fortune.
He lost his job as fisheries minister in the overhaul quickly dubbed the 'night of the long drives' as wealthy MPs with large estates were told to make way for northern, young and women MPs.
The first minister to be sacked, Mr Benyon sparked controversy earlier this year when he claimed too many people do not store fruit and vegetables correctly and could cut their shopping bills if they read food labels properly.It later emerged he hands loaves of bread to local villagers through the window of his mansion house in a bizarre tradition which dates back to 1581.
The government was stung by criticism that it is out of touch after Mr Benyon claimed the average family wastes food worth £50-a-month.
Today Mr Benyon tweeted: 'On back benches! 3 and half really fun years with much achieved. Really appreciate time working with outstanding Ministers and Officials.'
But he may not miss it too much. Last week he revealed the 'glamour' of life on a trade mission to Brazil 'bigging up UK sewage and waste companies and selling chicken hearts and bulls semen'.

He has been replaced at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by George Eustice, a former strawberry farmer who once worked as a spokesman for Mr Cameron.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-class-women-MPs-promoted.html#ixzz2hRhZ6eLT
 
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Mr Benyon (sorry his trust fund ) was in receipt of something like 2M per year from the EU in farming subsidies and his record on conservation has been lamentable.
Suspect that the great unwashed who do not hunt/shoot and prefer to preserve our marine life will be greeting his demotion to where he can cause less harm with some pleasure.
A quick look at Wikipedia reveals all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Benyon
 
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Suspect that the great unwashed who do not hunt/shoot and prefer to preserve our marine life will be greeting his demotion to where he can cause less harm with some pleasure.

Surely you've got that one wrong OG - now he's no longer a minister he's going to have more time to indulge in country sports!! ;)
 
Surely you've got that one wrong OG - now he's no longer a minister he's going to have more time to indulge in country sports!! ;)

If you mean by country sports blasting away in a neandertal way at anything that has feathers or four legs that is not running in the 3.30,well yes suppose he will.
Doubt "We are all in this together" PM Dave will be asking him along on one of his (kept very quiet ) stag hunts anytime soon tho ! :)
 
Seems that original info was premature/incorrect and we should be saying 'HELLO' to one Dan Rogerson MP, the Lib Dem MP for North Cornwall.

Apparently, before becoming a minister, Mr Rogerson was chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on cheese. -

See more at: http://www.boatingbusiness.com/news101/industry-news/new-minister-for-waterways#sthash.1Is41OH1.dpuf


God help the inland waterways - he was my local MP for several years - he's very quick to claim the honours for other peoples hard work and doesn't like putting his name to things in advance.
 
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