I fully support Labour’s new 50-point Animal Welfare Manifesto.

Labour has launched its plan for radical action on animal welfare that would appoint an Animal Welfare Commissioner, introduce a ban on the live export of animals for slaughter, consult landlords on giving tenants the right to keep a pet, strengthen the Hunting Act, enshrine the principal of animal sentience in law, implement a review of animal testing and expand affordable vet care for people on low incomes.

Never has the future of animal welfare looked so uncertain under this Conservative government. Labour’s new Animal Welfare Manifesto which sets out an ambitious vision for excellence in farm animal welfare with a plan to end out-dated practices that severely restrict natural animal behaviour.

Labour has a proud record on animal welfare; from bringing in the ban on fox hunting and tightening the rules on live animal exports. The Welsh Labour Government has also prevented a badger cull from taking place in Wales as it has in England under the Tories. This manifesto continues in the same vein, and sets out a vision of a country where no animal is made to suffer unnecessary pain and degradation and where we continue to drive up standards and practice in line with the most recent advances and understanding.

The new 50-point policy document results from months of consultation, including over 6,000 responses from experts, industry, welfare organisations and individuals. The proposals have been endorsed by the League against Cruel Sports, Compassion in World Farming, IFAW and WWF.

A new Animal Welfare Commissioner would be tasked with ensuring Government policy across Whitehall is continually informed by the latest scientific evidence on animal sentience. The Commissioner would also ensure animal welfare standards are always considered in new legislation and are maintained in Britain’s involvement in international bodies and post-Brexit trade deals.

Also at the top of Labour’s proposed animal welfare legislative agenda is the ending of cage use on British farms by 2025, a deadline which will allow producers enough time to plan and make necessary adjustments. They also want to see an entire phasing out of animal testing, a review of training and standards within slaughterhouses, and an end to the badger cull in England.  Furthermore, Labour will be looking to expand the definition of ‘animals’ to include lobsters and squid, ending the practice of boiling lobsters alive. The manifesto also seeks to ban the import of fur, Foie Gras and wild animal trophies from threatened species.

You can read the manifesto in full here: https://labour.org.uk/issues/animal-welfare-manifesto