Whitehall’s denials of English wild pony genocide, Starmer’s U-turn, what’s going on?
No.10 announced vote-friendly pony policy two days before Makerfield – Where are the details?
Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2026
New report shocks. Lists blatantly-misleading, official statements and urges more public pressure to ensure delivery
Last week, with the death threat still hanging over England’s beautiful wild ponies which GB News reported on, the quango ‘Natural England’ issued a categorical denial of all allegations. Our new report destroys these denials, insists that Tuesday's (apparent) government U-turn be implemented immediately, and asks for readers to sign the public petition opposing the plans.
This week the organisations Facts4EU, The Campaign for an Independent Britain, and Stand for Our Sovereignty have provided GB News with a shocking and exclusive analysis of the quango’s flat-out denials, concluding:
“Natural England’s statement is the most extraordinary example of disingenuous, Sir Humphrey-style mandarin-speak, designed to mislead and defend the indefensible at all costs.”
- Ben Philips, Deputy Chairman & Comms Dir, Brexit Facts4EU and CIBUK, 18 June 2026
As Natural England seeks to reduce the number of farm animals overall, all will suffer, and the iconic Dartmoor ponies will be wiped out unless the government implements its seeming U-turn in full, says report.
Will these pre-Makerfield by-election promises turn into immediate actions?
On Tuesday during an unattributable Lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesman stated that Sir Keir “would not allow” the culling of Dartmoor’s ponies. This was an interesting form of words, given that it’s the Government’s own quango whose new policies will lead to the eradication of the species unless they are reversed.
It did, however, produce the positive headlines which No.10 doubtless saw as highly welcome only two days before a key by-election and with the challenge to the PM’s leadership well underway.
Thus far, no details have been released on what would be another fundamental U-turn by the Starmer Government. Campaigners are naturally concerned that the headlines must now be translated into action.
Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony and the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association commented:
“We now look to the Government for detail on the direction it will give Natural England to remedy the current situation, and for clarity on what will change in practice.
“We ask what specific changes will be made to Natural England's approach to guarantee that the assurances given by MPs and Ministers are delivered in full. How will the endangered, semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony population be protected on Dartmoor's Commons, in perpetuity?”
- Friends of the DHP / DHPA, Tues 16 Jun 2026
What is so unnatural about ‘Natural England’
For years Natural England (NE) and DEFRA have openly discussed the ‘improvement’ of England’s national parks to achieve biodiversity and Net Zero. These Whitehall plans have set local communities, tending for these wonderful natural spaces for generations, against the faceless bureaucrats in London.
This matters, because the future of England’s wild ponies,
grazing our common land since the Bronze Ages,
is at stake.
Even the best scenario would be devastating
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge
Natural England doesn’t like animals very much
NE want to slash the number of animals grazing each hectare of moorland. Their last scheme, HLS, resulted in undergrazing and the explosion of invasive Molinia grass which only ponies eat. Their latest solution is the inflexible, one-size-fits-all, Countryside Stewardship (CS) agri-environment scheme, in three forms of decreasing density of animals: CS1, CS2, and CS3.
Under these plans, the overall number of animals (cattle, sheep and ponies) are set to be reduced by 66-89% from current levels. Critically, ponies are being included for the first time in the overall total.
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge - Credit: SJ Norris
The science behind it was conducted a long time ago on uplands in the north, eg Cumbria. DEFRA’s independent Fursdon Dartmoor Review in 2023/4, having considered all evidence, found it doesn’t suit local biodiversity. Inevitably Dartmoor and other moorlands will be pushed towards the harshest cuts.
Natural England's policies will then mean one animal every 25 hectares (approx 62 acres).
Visitors will be lucky to see a single one.
Former Secretary of State Lord Redwood spoke exclusively to us
“How and when will the PM exempt ponies from this bad policy?”
“Natural England and the government’s environment subsidies for farmers want to make big reductions in cattle and sheep grazing our fields and moors.
“Just as their policy aims to close down much of our oil, gas and gas-using industries to cut CO2, so their land use policy wants to slash our meat and dairy industries to cut carbon and create a more politically correct landscape. The wild ponies on our moors are being dragged into the controls and will be the first to go if competing with cattle for the reduced numbers allowed to live.
“Environmental targets can be a death warrant for excess livestock.”
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Natural England’s extraordinary attempt to defend itself
DEFRA’s quango NE used their ‘blog’ rather than a formal statement. Below we list the five claims they address and respond to their rebuttals on each. Everything below in italics is from NE.
NE's attempted rebuttal
Claim 1: "Natural England has recommended a 90% cull of Dartmoor ponies."
NE: “This is not true. Natural England has not recommended a cull of Dartmoor ponies. We do not have the power to order a cull, and we have not advised one.”
Response: An entirely false proposition. No-one ever said NE recommended a cull. It is simply an inevitable and irreversible consequence of NE's policies, as they well know, that pony numbers will reduce far below sustainable levels. We still have no details regarding the government's statement on Tuesday.
Claim 2: "Natural England is trying to remove ponies from Dartmoor."
NE: “This is false. Natural England wants to see ponies remain a central part of Dartmoor's grazing system. The Fursdon Review… which Natural England fully supports, described the Dartmoor pony as invaluable for conservation grazing and genetically important. Our position is aligned with that finding.”
Response: No, it isn’t false. It was DEFRA that commissioned the independent Fursdon report, which stated:
“Dartmoor’s pony population is invaluable for conservation grazing and genetically important… Ponies and cattle should not be linked for the calculation of stocking rates and NE should not take actions likely to result in a reduction in their numbers.”
- DEFRA’s independent Fursdon report
NE quotes the report, claims to support it, but ignores its findings.
Claim 3: "Natural England's stocking restrictions will force commoners to get rid of their ponies."
NE: “Decisions about which animals are grazed on Dartmoor commons rest with individual landowners and commoners, not with Natural England… We are aware of concerns that including ponies in livestock unit calculations could lead some land managers favouring more commercially profitable cattle or sheep.”
Response: Completely misleading, as NE’s position leaves no alternative for those tending the ponies. They do not take accountability for the reduction required when the current contracts are ended and commoners are required to sign new contracts (Countryside Stewardship). Neither does this statement take accountability for Natural England’s decision to include ponies in overall animal numbers, whereas in previous schemes ponies ran to an agreed maximum outside of them. Including ponies pits them against more commercially profitable cattle or sheep and NE knows commoners will be left with no choice.
Claim 4: "Natural England is ignoring the importance of Dartmoor ponies to the landscape and local communities."
NE: “Dartmoor ponies and hill ponies are part of the cultural and ecological identity of Dartmoor, and Natural England’s advice recognises this fully.”
Response: Clearly false as NE’s position will result in the pony population being unviable. If NE recognises the "cultural and ecological identity of Dartmoor" it would not be taking actions it knows will destroy this.
Claim 5: "Natural England's advice is harming an already endangered breed."
NE: “Natural England shares the concern about the future of Dartmoor ponies as a breed… We are committed to working with the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group to develop a collaborative plan that supports both nature recovery and the sustainable future of the Dartmoor pony.”
Response: Why did NE not wait for the DLUMG’s recommendations if they are “committed to working with them”? It is clear they have no interest in what the scientific evidence will say. NE have gone ahead regardless. This is not an evidence-based approach and is, in our view, indefensible by Natural England. We can only assume the decisions have been taken on ideological grounds, related to bioversity and Net Zero policies.
Summary
Natural England's policies - still unchanged on their site - effectively cause the genocide of an entire species. Under these plans, ponies will become economically unviable. NE (an agency of government) can’t disclaim responsibility if its plans mean no-one can afford to keep ponies on the moors. All that No.10 has said so far is that the PM "won't allow it" - we have no details of new plans..
The concern is that, like the Defence Investment Plan, the changes will be delayed for up to a year. It is imperative that NE communicate these changes as soon as possible so they might be reviewed.
Any reduction below current population numbers will result in the disappearance of a beautiful, wild English animal which has survived in our landscape for thousands of years. Natural England’s policies will cause this. They must accept this and they must be forced to change the policies in a way that protects the Dartmoor pony permanently, as well as the ponies and other wild animals on all the country's common land.
The local community is committed to their environment. Unlike NE, they actually live there and it is in their interests to see it improve.
One of the many ironies is that ponies are the only animal that eats the invasive, long Molinia grass which is destroying parts of Dartmoor (photo right).
Natural England is based a very long way away and is seldom seen.
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2026 - click to enlarge - Credit: SJ Norris
Dartmoor is sparsely populated and the people there need your help.
Those who wish to, can sign the public petition here.
To quote Facts4EU's Chairman: "Announcing a vote-friendly policy two days before a by-election isn't the same as implementing it."
“It seems for Natural England, our ponies will be the 'collateral damage' of their policies,” Lord Redwood told us
“Once again government and Natural England put out anti-farmer policies.
“Cutting cattle and sheep at home will not save the planet. We will import more meat and dairy instead, adding food miles and diesel transport emissions to the total.The ponies on our moors will be collateral damage as they are removed to cut CO2 and to alter the nature of the moors.
“Net Zero ideology is out of control and has now turned against our animals. It is far from helpful that we will need to import more food and travel abroad to see wild ponies.
“Why does Natural England have so little respect and understanding of the importance of farm and wild animals to our countryside?”
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[ Sources: NE | DEFRA | RPA ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thurs 18 June 2026
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