Well, There's 'Protected Species', And Then There's Protected Species...

A rare moment of agreement:

Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, joined Ben Suter, deputy chairman for Dagenham and Rainham Conservatives, in saying the extension of the Traveller site at the park presented a threat to the green belt and ignored the wishes of local people.

Mr Suter went on to claim that the extension would destroy the habitats of protected species, without specifying which animals he was referring to.

But then the real protected species got up on its hind legs and brayed for all it was worth: 

Ilinca Diaconescu, policy and campaigns coordinator for London Gypsies and Travellers, spoke out following Barking and Dagenham Council’s decision to approve the extension of a Gypsy and Traveller site in Eastbrookend Country Park at a cabinet meeting on May 23.

Ms Diaconescu, whose group is a registered charity, said: “We urge politicians to understand the negative impacts of their opposition to these plans in the context of the housing crisis facing Gypsy and Traveller Londoners, and the racism and prejudice that the communities continue to face to this day.”

So, politicians shouldn't represent anyone's interests except yours, Ilinca? There's a name for that, isn't there? I wonder how it translates into Romanian?

Ms Diaconescu said that when politicians opposed the delivery of homes for Gypsy and Traveller families, they reinforced housing inequalities these communities face and send a public message that they are not welcome anywhere.

I wonder why...