The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation(CAWF) held a reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on the 6th October.
The event attracted a wide audience of Shadow Defra Ministers, MPs, Peers, councillors, animal organisations and conference attendees at the Hyatt Regency. The reception highlighted the importance of advancing animal welfare and celebrated CAWF’s tenth anniversary.
The event was hosted by the Shadow Minister for Defence- the Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, and featured contributions from the shadow Defra Secretary Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP and Dr Neil Hudson MP, the Shadow Defra Minister of State and Dr Steven McCulloch, CAWF’s Head of Research and Founder of Pigs Protection.
The reception served as a significant opportunity to acknowledge the previous Conservative Government’s animal welfare achievements while addressing the urgent need for further progress, particularly in farm animal welfare, including banning pig farrowing crates and ending high- concentration CO2 stunning of pigs.
In his opening remarks, CAWF co- founder Chris Platt spoke on the achievements of the former Conservative Government, including the historic ban on live exports for slaughter and fattening, the Sentience Act, the Pet Abduction Act, ended keeping primates as pets, the Animal (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act, and the Glue Traps Offences Act. He expanded:
“The Conservative government achieved a huge raft of new animal welfare laws whilst in power. Microchipping was made compulsory for cats, service animals were protected through Finn’s Law, ended the import and export of detached shark fins, banned the commercial third- party sales of puppies and kittens (Lucy’s Law) introduced the Ivory Act and extended it to encompass more species, delivered the Wild Animals in Circuses Act, enshrined animal sentience in law, introduced mandatory CCTV into slaughterhouses, implemented tougher sentences for animal cruelty, introduced the Environment Act, formed the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, introduced the Animal Sentience Committee, established Blue Belt Programme and introduced the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. A long list!”
Mark Francois MP spoke on how the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was founded years ago and of his ongoing support to advance animal welfare as a Patron, to honour the memory of his dear friend and CAWF’s greatly missed Patron, Sir David Amess and his tireless work to protect animals.
Shadow Defra Secretary, the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins paid tribute to Sir David and spoke in support of CAWF’s work to advance animal welfare. She continued to speak on the large suite of animal welfare legislation introduced by the Conservatives whilst in government and how important it is to now protect laws such as the landmark live exports ban in UK-EU trade discussions on dynamic alignment with the EU.
Shadow Defra Minister of State Dr Neil Hudson MP highlighted the recent Conservative introduced Acts including the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 to protect farm animals from dog attacks led by Aphra Brandeth MP in the Commons and Baroness Therese Coffey in the Lords. He also spoke on his sponsorship of the law to ban puppy smuggling which was started under the Conservatives and continued by his parliamentary vet colleague Dr Danny Chambers, highlighting the importance of working cross party to advance animal welfare.
Dr Steven McCulloch, Our Head of Research and founder and Chairman of Pigs Protection also gave a speech urging for a ban on pig farrowing crates and an end to high concentration CO2 stunning of pigs at our packed animal welfare reception
CAWF Patrons Anna Firth , former MP and Rebecca Harris, the Opposition Whip, Lord Courtown, Baroness Therese Coffey and Shadow Defra Minister Aphra Brandeth MP joined the event with former MP Kevin Foster.
The Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association, John Cope also supported the event.
CAWF co-founder Lorraine Platt was delighted to welcome all in the room and said of the event:
“We mark ten years of campaigning, and the substantial animal welfare legislative progress made by the Conservative government in that period.
These achievements required determined ministers , parliamentarians, animal welfare organisations and campaigners working together. CAWF was proud to contribute to that effort. This is a record we should celebrate. It also reminds us what sustained political commitment can achieve.
But there is much more to do.
As CAWF enters its second decade, we continue to press for an end to cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs.
We need clear, mandatory animal welfare labelling, so consumers can make informed choices and farmers adopting higher animal welfare can be rewarded.
We must strengthen legal protections for farmed fish, replace high-concentration carbon dioxide stunning of pigs with more humane alternatives, end the use of fast growing chickens- known as frankenchickens and secure an end to imports of hunting trophies from endangered species.
We must also ensure that legislation delivers in practice, through effective implementation and enforcement. This is why we continue to urge for the Animals( Low Welfare activities Abroad)Act to be implemented.
Animal welfare matters to people across political divides. Our task is to turn that concern into practical reform.
To our patrons, team, scientific advisers, fellow animal protection organisations and every supporter who has helped over these ten years: thank you.
Your persistence has helped bring lasting change. Let us build on that work, with determination and compassion, in the decade ahead.
Thank you.”