Danny Alexander: Hypocrite

Jeremy Fox writing on Our Kingdom about Britain's relative (and actual) decline:

The Coalition’s recent decision to disinvest in Higher Education and its equally disgraceful plan to sell the nation’s forests are merely the latest insults to our already ragged social fabric.

It's only England's national forests that Danny Alexander plans to sell off.

It's only England's forests that he CAN sell off.

As a Scottish red squirrel (hat-tip Harriet Harman) he obviously isn't going to sell off his own habitat. In fact he campaigned with Save Our Forests against Scottish Government plans to sell off 25% of Scotland's forests.

The following comes from Danny Alexander's website:

SAVE OUR FORESTS

I grew up in Glengarry, west of Invergarry in Lochaber.

That is one example of the many small rural communities across the Highlands where the employment provided by the Forestry Commission is essential. That work supported families living in the area – whereas the neighbouring private forestry did not.

The Scottish Government's plans to lease 25% of Scotland's forests to private investors would put jobs at risk. The time has long past when people regarded our national forests simply as sources of cash. The Forestry Commission now does vital work creating paths and mountain bike tracks and supporting environmental improvements. The paths and bike tracks are popular with local people and tourists alike. I am campaigning against this – if you want to support that campaign please sign the online petition at www.scotlibdems.org.uk/saveourforests.

Posted on: 27/01/2009

Obviously it's completely unacceptable for the Scottish Government to sell off 25% of Scotland's forests, but perfectly acceptable for the UK Government to sell off England's forests.

What breathtaking hypocrisy.