The Conservative leadership contest presents an excellent opportunity to show voters that candidates are committed to advancing animal welfare. MP’s mailbags show that animal welfare is one of the public’s top priorities. In the remaining stages of the leadership contest, it is important that leadership candidates show their support on delivering on animal welfare commitments in the Conservative manifesto. It is crucial that the current animal welfare reforms continue under a new Prime Minister.
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation has sent a hand-signed letter to the final two candidates requesting their support for the Action Plan For Animal Welfare and the Kept Animals Bill which will deliver the Conservative manifesto commitment to end live exports and more.
The leadership contest presents a vital opportunity to show voters that candidates are committed to advancing welfare for animals. Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation welcomes support for our pledges on animal welfare from candidates such as ending live exports, ending cages for laying hens and pig farrowing crates, and for the Government to maintain commitments not to undermine British farmers in trade deals by lower welfare imports.
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation welcomes support for the below pledges on animal welfare from candidates and has written to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak for support on animal welfare pledges.
As Conservatives, we believe that care for our farmed animals and the values of conservatism are not mutually exclusive. The UK is, after all, a nation of animal lovers, and the Conservative Party has a proud record of standing up for animal welfare. From Margaret Thatcher’s introduction of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee within weeks of her election to David Cameron’s ban on battery cages, it is the Conservatives who have time and time again driven forward legislation to advance animal welfare.
As a strong voice for animal welfare in the Conservative Party, we are keen to get a sense of the leadership candidate’s approach to animal welfare issues. As such, we have asked the candidates their perspectives on the following questions:
- As Prime Minister, would you take forward and continue the Government’s Animal Welfare Action Plan in 2021?
- The Kept Animals Bill, which will bring live exports for fattening and slaughter to an end, is making its way through Parliament, in accordance with a Conservative manifesto commitment. Will you support the Kept Animals Bill to become law?
- Many organisations have called on the Government to maintain commitments not to undermine British farmers in trade deals, in order to ensure British farmers are not undercut by cheap low-welfare foreign goods. Is this an approach you would adopt?
- The Government has committed to consult on the phasing out of cages for hens and sows on British farms in the coming months. Will you allow these consultations to proceed and for legislation to follow?
There will be opportunities for Conservative party members to ask the two candidates for their views on animal welfare at the series of hustings organised across the country over the next few weeks. CAWF will be encouraging supporters to attend the hustings to ask candidates for their support on animal welfare issues.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation have written to leadership candidates Elizabeth Truss and Rishi Sunak along with 40 other animal welfare organisations calling on them to #ActNowForAnimals. The new UK Prime Minister must uphold the animal welfare proposals in the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare. https://www.hsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Letter-Sunak-Truss.pdf
