A British badger, carrying a newborn. Picture credit: Derek Keats - CC0
Badger culling, foie gras and the export of live animals could all be banned under the Labour Party’s new plans for animal welfare.
On 14 February, the Labour Party released a 50-point ‘plan’ for animal welfare in the UK. It presents an extensive row of measures, to be implemented under a Labour government. The plan has been praised since its release, and is seen by many as a response to the Conservative’s latest rollout of measures against animal cruelty.
The proposals include a total ban on the import of foie gras – the controversial luxury food made from force-feeding ducks or geese, an end to the current government-led badger cull, as well as banning live animals from circuses.
Other measures include enshrining animal sentience into law, making it easier to own pets as a tenant, and strengthening the Hunting Act, which has a number of loopholes - allowing what many believe is a blood sport to continue.
The plan also includes suggestions for post-Brexit subsidies for sustainable farming. Potential trade deals with China and the United States are feared to lower animal welfare standards in the UK, as many of the current regulations stems from the EU.
Sue Hayman, Shadow Secretary of Environment, said:
"With new trade deals on the horizon and the UK no longer subject to EU-wide rules on animal welfare, we want to ensure there is a comprehensive legislative agenda in place so that the UK becomes a world leader on animal rights."
The Conservatives have a poor reputation on animal welfare, and faced some scrutiny in the last election due to their affiliation with fox hunting and continuation of the badger cull. But in recent months, with Environment Secretary Michael Gove in the forefront, a series of measures have been rolled out to repair their reputation. Gove has made CCTV compulsory in all slaughterhouses, increased penalties for animal cruelty, and promised to make Brexit animal-friendly.
But in a statement to Fauna, Elisa Allen, director of PETA said: “Labour's Animal Welfare Plan contains some progressive suggested policies that, if implemented, would have a big impact on millions of animals in this country and beyond.”
“We hope the government is paying attention and that it will make similar commitments,” she said.
Conservationist and nature writer James Common is the founder and editor of the UK-based New Nature – the youth magazine. Speaking to Fauna, he said:
“The conservatives may have provided a more precise and detailed environmental vision, but they still fall seriously short with regards to animal welfare. Gove’s moves to increase monitoring in slaughterhouses seem insincere when his party continues to slaughter badgers, and fails to act against those illegally killing wildlife.”
Jonas Henmo