Chris Packham sacked from role as charity patron over 'political' outbursts: 'He hadn't done anything!'
Chris Packham's political activism has landed him in hot water with a charity
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Chris Packham has been sacked from his position as a patron for wildlife charity Raptor Rescue after its Chairman claimed he "hadn't done anything" for the cause.
Packham's campaigns against government policy were also reported to have caused divisions among other members of the charity.
In recent months, Packham has launched attacks against the government for its policy regarding Net Zero and even suggested it was time to break the law in order to force climate action from politicians.
As documented in a Channel 4 documentary, Packham claimed breaking the law was the "ethically responsible thing to do".
He's also thrown his support behind outspoken activist groups Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion and Animal Rising.
The Chairman of Raptor Rescue, Malcolm Robbins, has now spoken out about the charity's decision to oust Packham from their books following his recent tirades.
Chris Packham was sacked from his patron role at Raptor Rescue
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“He was a patron, but we hadn’t heard from him in a long time, he hadn’t done anything for the charity, and we couldn’t contact him,” Robbins told the Telegraph.
He added: "The other reason we decided to remove him was he started to get more and more political in his views and that didn’t sit well with our members either.
"So, he wasn’t doing anything for us, and his actions were beginning to split the membership. Our members are people who simply love birds on the one hand and on the other side we have working falconers and people from the countryside who support our work.
“Some people don’t like the political side of his activities and he was becoming a more political person. He has now even started talking about breaking the law. Irrespective of our personal feelings, as a charity, there is no way we could support that," Robbins added.
Packham hasn't responded publicly to his sacking from Raptor Rescue but has made a return to social media since news of his axe broke.
And in typical fashion, it was to launch another attack on Rishi Sunak's government with the Springwatch presenter even pursuing legal action against the government.
In response to the government's Net Zero policies, Packham said on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday evening: "I believe the PM broke the law when he delayed Net Zero back in September.
"The govt are under obligation from the Climate Change Act to meet Net Zero by 2050 through their own Carbon Budget – this can't be abandoned on a whim. That's why I'm taking them to the High Court." (sic)
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
I believe the PM broke the law when he delayed Net Zero back in September .
— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) December 6, 2023
The govt are under obligation from the Climate Change Act to meet Net Zero by 2050 through their own Carbon Budget – this can't be abandoned on a whim .
That's why I'm taking them to the High Court . pic.twitter.com/KvO3rYXJ6W
Packham's no stranger to online outbursts - and not always aimed at the government or individual politicians.
Earlier this month, Packham launched a blistering open letter addressed to Ant and Dec as he condemned their participation in another series of I'm A Celebrity.
Packham fumed the ITV show's treatment of animals was a "grotesque blot" on the duo's career before demanding they make a change to the format of any future editions.