Luke has called for bee-killing pesticides to be banned and for there to be a vote in Parliament whenever they are used.

This call comes after news that the Environment Secretary (and Cornwall MP) George Eustice has approved neonicotinoid pesticides for use on sugar beets. This is a reversal on his 2021 decision to ban the pesticide.

Neonicotinoid pesticides are proven to prohibit the flight and navigation of bees, as well as directly killing the bees. To protect bees and other pollinators, neonicotinoid insecticides were banned across the EU in 2018, with UK support.

Luke said:

“Bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides need to be banned for good. We know how harmful they are to our bees and pollinators. That’s why they’re banned in so many countries, including the UK just last year.

 

If we have any chance of protecting our natural environment, making sure we all have enough food to eat, and in tackling the climate and nature emergency, then the health of our bees is non-negotiable.

 

It is shocking that Ministers have not allowed Parliament to scrutinise this hugely damaging decision. They should have the courage to come to the House of Commons and defend their decision, rather than bunkering down in Whitehall”.