How to fend off DEFRA

Three more years. The Labour Government, with its massive majority, has until August 2029 to rebuild its relationship with the British countryside. Trailhunting bans, family farm tax, and Islington animal rights agends: we look at what it is likely to do and what we can do to fight back. Panel is Dr Marnie Lovejoy from BASC, who specialises in holding the government to account, and former DEFRA minister Sir Mark Spencer from Aim to Sustain. For more ways to listen, go to FieldsportsChannel.tv/fieldsportschannelpodcast151 For BASC, visit BASC.org.uk

BASC's top team discuss their recent High Court victory against Natural England and how their Fighting Fund can lead the battle for shooting. Chief executive Ian Bell and chairman Eoghan Cameron come to the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre 2026 to say what a battle it was. For more ways to listen, go to FieldsportsChannel.tv/fieldsportschannelpodcast150 For BASC, visit BASC.org.uk

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP spells out how PM Andy Burnham should approach his dealings with the British countryside. He and BASC lobbyist Orlando Wind-Cowie are speaking to Charlie at the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre in July. It's the inaugural Christopher Graffius memorial debate, in memory of Christopher, who was in charge of communications and public affairs at BASC for many years and who died earlier in 2026. For more ways to listen, go to FieldsportsChannel.tv/fieldsportschannelpodcast149 For more about Christopher Graffius, visit BASC.org.uk/basc-honours-christopher-graffius-game-fair/  

Tim Bonner from the Countryside Alliance sets out his hopes and fears for the next three years of Labour rule over the English countryside. After the chaos of the Starmer premiership, what does rural England have to loo forward to? He talks to Charlie Jacoby in the 2026 Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre. Click here for more ways to listen Click here for the Countryside Alliance

With the Gloirus Twelftth just around the corner, the GWCT gives its verdict on what the 2026 grouse-shooting season will be like. Speaking at the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre, GWCT director of Scotland Nick Hesford, senior advisor Scotland Felix Meister and upland ecologist Leah Cloonan talk about that plus the GWCT's upland flagship Maternal Grouse project. Red grouse have declined by 33% in recent years. With some moors producing consistent bags and others not shooting for several years, GWCT's research team has set out to discover why. For more ways to listen, go to FieldsportsChannel.tv/fieldsportschannelpodcast147 For the GWCT, visit GWCT.org.uk

Richard Bailey from the Peak District Moorland Group calls the wildfires burning across Derbyshire a 'fire wave'. He speaks to Charlie Jacoby in the 2026 Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre about what the Westminster government can do about it. Read and listen to the full story on Scribehound  Find the Peak District Moorland Group on Facebook   

Jo Pearson's job at the Moorland Association is to help upland estates fill out forms. These forms are applications for controlled burning licences from Natural England – and Jo knows that, if she fills out enough forms, DEFRA may get to hear about it, and may realise what a pointless exercise 'controlled burning' forms are. She speaks to Charlie Jacoby in the 2026 Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre. Read and listen to the full story on Scribehound  Visit MoorlandAssociation.org

Nobody is in charge of preventing wildfires. That's the charge Andrew Gilruth of the Moorland Association levels against the Westminster government. Successive government failings mean the fires we see raging in the UK's uplands can be stopped months in advance, if only there were the political will. He speaks to Charlie Jacoby in the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre. Read and listen to the full story on Scribehound  Visit MoorlandAssociation.org  

Victoria Atkins MP and her front bench team come to the 2026 Game Fair to show Conservative support for shooting and hunting. The shadow DEFRA secretary speaks to Charlie Jacoby in the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre about where the Labour government is going wrong – and how the Tories made mistakes, too.    For more ways to listen, go to FieldsportsChannel.tv/fieldsportschannelpodcast143  

David Beach is a wildlife filmmaker. He comes to the Carter Jonas Game Fair Theatre 2025 to talk about the difficulties that hunting tourism has presenting its case as the best way for funding conservation worldwide.