The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) has offered an apology after referring to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several ministers as 'liars'.

The conservation charity acknowledged that its frustration with the government's failure to uphold environmental pledges led them to criticize individuals rather than policies.

The RSPB's dissatisfaction stems from the government's intention to eliminate water pollution regulations for housing developments in England.

The government contends that the impact of water pollution from new homes is "negligible" and that the change will pave the way for the construction of up to 100,000 new homes by 2030.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier on Wednesday, the RSPB directly targeted Prime Minister Mr. Sunak, Housing Secretary Michael Gove, and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, asserting that "you promised not to weaken environmental safeguards."

However, the charity later retracted its comments after three hours, expressing regret that the initial post "fell below the standards we uphold."

"While we will persist in advocating for nature with fervor, we will always do so with courteous and thoughtful discourse," the organization stated.

One of the charity's trustees, Ben Caldecott, openly criticized the initial post on X, deeming it "inappropriate for such a vital and highly esteemed institution to contribute in this manner to our public dialogue."

"We can firmly disagree and present our arguments without resorting to calling individuals 'LIARS!'" he added. Caldecott indicated that he had urgently addressed the matter with the charity's CEO and chair.

Conservative MP Mark Jenkinson accused the RSPB of transitioning into "a political advocacy group" and urged the Charity Commission, the regulatory body, to revoke the charity's status.

Political advocacy by charitable organizations is permissible according to guidelines outlined by the Charity Commission, though any engagement with political parties must remain balanced.

A spokesperson from the Charity Commission stated, "We are aware of the RSPB's activity on social media and will examine this matter to determine if there is a regulatory role for the commission." Photo by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wikimedia commons.