Making a Bee Line for 10 Downing
Street
Tim Lovett
Hundreds of beekeepers marched down Whitehall on Wednesday 5 November
FOUR HUNDRED beekeepers, some of
them with lighted smokers, had
their moment of glory as the
British Beekeepers' Association
(BBKA) Bee Health Petition was
delivered to 10 Downing Street, in
London, the home of the Prime
Minister. This followed a rally at
Old Palace Yard, appropriately on
Guy Fawkes night.
The petition had closed with 142,000
signatures from members of the public
giving the Government a very clear
statement of the level of feeling in
support of the demand for increased
dlfunding. a
no
Dc
The petition calls on the Government M ge
rto increase the paltry £200,000 G
currently spent on bee health research (top left) Smokers were lit andAvon BKA, Roz Whittaker and 11-year-old
to £1.6 million annually over the next placards held aloftGuy Whittaker, Sussex BKA.
5 years. This is less than 1% of the (above) Bee and bobby walk arm in
£825 million value of pollination arm down Parliament SquareA mass lobby of MPs followed the march,
provided to the United Kingdom (UK) where support from politicians of all
economy over the same period. parties was evident. This marks the end
Presenting the petition were Tim of this phase of the campaign, which
Lovett, BBKA President and Surrey itself continues on other fronts in the (below) Massed beekeepers carrying
beekeeper, Pat Allen, Essex BKA, media and at Westminster until the result placards and smokers after their
Norman Carreck, Sussex BKA, Ivor Davis, so urgently needed is achieved. z march
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Page 4 Bee Craft digital December 2008
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