Compassionomics: why labour must not devalue the currency of animal protection

3 min read02 June Partner content

Voters expect the government’s plan for economic growth to follow a moral compass. This month, Labour has a crucial chance to prove its commitment to animal welfare by backing the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill. Humane World for Animals UK urges the party to take a clear stand against the cruelty of the fur trade.

In June last year, now Environment Secretary Steve Reed MP promised that ‘a vote for Labour is a vote for animals’ and tweeted that Labour would introduce ‘the biggest boost in animal welfare in a generation’. Almost a year later, animal protection organisations and compassionate voters are waiting impatiently for ignition on this pledge.

We have long advocated for governments to focus animal protection strategy on preventing the most severe suffering experienced by the largest numbers of animals. Inevitably, this should draw energy and attention to the plight of the more than one billion land animals farmed and killed for food every year in the UK, millions of whom spend much of their lives confined to cruel cages. Disappointingly, Labour’s manifesto promised no action for them, even though polling shows that almost two thirds of British people believe that the government should introduce legislation to phase out intensive farming.¹

“The greatness of a nation can be judged by its treatment of animals”

It did contain other welcome commitments, including banning imports of hunting trophies, ending the use of snares to catch wild animals and working towards phasing out animal testing. Steve Reed MP also confirmed that Labour would ban imports of foie gras,² a luxury pâté made from the diseased livers of force-fed ducks or geese, describing the practice as ‘shocking’ and ‘beyond disgusting.

We fear that such vote-winning pledges are now at risk of being unnecessarily sacrificed at the altar of free-trade and economic growth. Attempts to sign on the line with countries including Mexico and the US could – if the UK includes no red lines on animal welfare imports – start a race to the bottom for products such as eggs from battery-caged hens and negotiations on a Common Veterinary Agreement with the EU could undermine the UK’s ability to prevent cruel imports, including foie gras and fur. Meanwhile, the government’s proposed reform to planning regulations to fast-track development has been described by leading environment charities including the RSPB as a ‘wrecking ball’.³

The current government won votes and trust on its promise to treat animals with compassion. Public opinion does not support the idea that such commitments should be dispensed with as soon as it might seem fiscally convenient or advantageous to do so.

Despite a slow and disappointing start, we have optimism that Labour will deliver for animals. An imminent opportunity for the government to reflect public support for stronger animal protection legislation is for it to back Ruth Jones MP’s Fur (Import and Sale) Bill, scheduled for second reading on 13th June. Fur farming was banned UK-wide over 20 years ago and now over three quarters (77 per cent) of the public want the government to end the double-standard of importing the same cruelty.⁴

As the greatness of a nation can be judged by its treatment of animals, it follows that the integrity of our governments will be judged on the extent to which they keep their promises for animals, as some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Animal protection is a valuable currency with voters, and millions of compassionate Brits want Labour’s promised boost delivered without further delays.