A Vegan Forest of Dean?
On 25th July 2024, Forest of Dean District Council approved a motion to promote 'plant based foods' within the Council and the district. Within days, and well before the minutes of the council meeting were published, this was publicised on a website 'Plant Based Councils'.
Looking at the wording of the motion, a similarities with a motion put before another council become apparent. For example, Exeter City Council has, under 'Council asks Executive to':
3. Set up a cross-party task and finish group, chaired by the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, of officers, elected Members including other relevant Portfolio Holders and invited experts to promote and embed these principles in Exeter City Council's food provision where practicable.
Compare this with the Forest of Dean District Council motion under 'Council instructs Cabinet to:'
3) Set up a cross-party Task and Finish Working Group of officers, elected Members and invited experts to promote replacement of animal products with sustainable plant-based food in the Forest.
Just coincidence? Not enough to deter further investigation. The Plant Based Councils website declares that it is "an Animal Rising campaign". Animal Rising was formerly known as 'Animal Extinction' but changed it's name in 2023 "in a firm step away from the Extinction Rebellion umbrella", according to a website calling itself 'Plant Based News'. This shows a remarkable lack of imagination, as Extinction Rebellion was originally billed as "a campaign of Rising UP!". They clearly have only a small vocabulary. More information about Rising UP! in [1].
Since changing it's name, it's direction of travel can be seen in it's actions. It is run by a company called 'Plant Based Campaigns Limited (Company
number 12064173), formerly known as 'Animal Rebellion Limited'. The
company has 3 directors who share an impressive list of arrests and
criminal charges. All have been arrested for variously attempting to
disrupt the Epsom Derby, the Grand National and the Scottish Grand
National, stealing dogs and sheep, and obstructing roads and motorways
[2]. One of the directors has received two suspended prison sentences
for intentionally causing a public nuisance and contempt of court. The
same director bragged about 'shutting off the milk supply' before
members of his group caused £100,000 of damage at a Dairy Site in Hatfield.
The Councillor who put forward this motion chose not to reveal any connection with the national campaign, thus depriving other Councillors of knowledge of the background of the those behind it. Is this is contrary to Principle 5 (Openness) and Principle 6 (Honesty) of the 'Councillors Code of Conduct'?
Hopefully the Chair of the Council will be asked to determine this at the next full Council meeting. At the same meeting the Council may also wish to reflect on what signal association with known criminals gives to the people it represents.
Notes
1: The website for Rising up! has mysteriously disappeared from the internet, probably because much of the material presented there was seditious. It can be found at the wayback machine here.
2: Animal Rising are unashamed of the number of convictions their members have accumulated. If fact, they boast about them!