A Public campaign to save the future of Kew Gardens could find an unlikely hero becoming one of its most vital supporters.

James Wong, is a former Kew diploma student, who is now an internationally recognised and respected botanist as well as a presenter of BBC shows such as Countryfile.

Not only that but as he told last night’s (Wednesday) packed meeting he is also a ‘hard core science geek with no understanding of politics.’

He could have fooled most of the members of the audience, as well as the two MPS present Zac Goldsmith and John McDonnell, as he went on to deliver by far the most stand out and comprehensive speeches of the night.

He explained how scientists like himself were frustrated at the perception of Kew by the public and politicians as just ‘a theme park with flowers’ and painted a bleak future for the gardens and their work if cuts continued unabaited.

He said: “There is a global famine predicted by 2050 - did anyone else here know that?

“Kew’s main problem is having the word ‘gardens’ in its name. It makes it sound like a lovely place to walk your dog - when actually it is the nation’s first line of defence against global threats.”

James Wong

He went on to horrify the audience with the revelation all bananas could be extinct by the end of the current century as a deadly fungal disease which originated in Africa and jumped to the Caribbean has no cure.

He also reminded everyone how the current global fight against the Ebola virus which has killed nearly 5,000 people in its latest outbreak will see plants play a vital role.

The current cure being developed has tobacco leaves as part of its ingredients.

Mr Wong - who tweets under the name @Botanygeek - added: “Once you lose the scientific expertise at Kew you will not get it back. Singapore, China, Brazil etc are spending millions on botanical research.

“The problem here is plants look too good, if they looked like microchips or oil then maybe MPs would understand their importance.

“They think of it in terms of garden make-over shows, or as an aesthetic object.

“Britain has led the world in botanical research for over 300 years - we are dismantling that.”

Mr Goldsmith praised his impact on the meeting and hoped that what he had said could be filmed and placed online for everyone to see and hear.

Mr McDonnell meanwhile felt he was made for a role in the House of Commons.

Getwestlondon didn’t get it all - but here are two clips of Mr Wong in action:

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