Bill Oddie: "The Government is ignorant and arrogant"

Bill Oddie has spoken out against an "ignorant and arrogant" Government which he believes is still influenced by a public school "old boy" network.

The wildlife presenter says the powers that be have ignored scientific evidence in assessing the case for a cull of Britain's badgers in the fight to control the spread of bovine TB – and he believes they take a similar approach to other issues.

"I think this government is stunningly ignorant and arrogant," says Oddie, speaking in the new issue of Radio Times. "The badger cull has had a lot of publicity but basically what you've got is scientific research that suggests this is not the way to curb bovine TB. But the Government turn around and say 'Right, I see, we did this survey but it hasn't come up with what we want to hear so we'll ignore it.'

"And that seems to be the general attitude to just about everything."

Oddie, who returns to our screens next week in Britain's Big Wildlife Revival, says those making the decisions have "a vested interest."

"It's the old boy thing still," he says. "It's still these Old Etonian boys getting together on a whacking great estate shooting weekend. You keep seeing the links."

Bill Oddie discusses Britain's disappearing wildlife and his own struggles with depression in the full interview in the new issue of Radio Times, on sale now

Britain's Big Wildlife Revival starts on Sunday 18 August at 5:35pm on BBC1




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