The then Labour government was contemptuous of the countryside

Anyone who loves the English countryside will know how serious the threat of disease is to the country's Ash trees.  There is going to be a lot of anger if the Ash trees go the way of the Elm trees.  Especially if the devastation could have been avoided.

So it was a shock to see on the Guardian website news that "the government" knew about the risk in 2009 and refused to do anything about it.

There is however an error in the Guardian's report.  They say "the government" (present tense) when they should say "the then Labour government".  Lazy editing.

The then Labour government was contemptuous of the countryside and the people who lived there.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/29/government-ignored-ash-dieback-warnings

Cathy Newman is about to report this on Channel 4 News.

http://www.channel4.com/news/

https://twitter.com/cathynewman/status/262996599100301312