Labour has long been the party of animal welfare. From bringing forward the landmark Hunting Act to protecting the treatment of domestic animals under the Animal Welfare Act, Labour has always placed the welfare of animals high on the policy agenda.
At the last General Election, Tory MPs stood on a platform which pledged to voters that they would deliver the policies set out in the Kept Animals Bill. But despite introducing the Bill in 2021, the Government failed to progress it in the subsequent two years due to Conservative Party dither, delay, and in-fighting over whether animals deserve greater protections.
Last month, the Tories confirmed that the Kept Animals Bill will be dropped entirely. Yet again from this weak and divided Conservative Party we see big promises, but no delivery and animals will suffer as a result.
We are a nation of animal lovers. I know from the correspondence I receive from across Cardiff Central that animal welfare is an issue that many people care deeply about.
We were promised that the Kept Animals Bill would bring in some of the world’s highest and strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals, closing loopholes such as the one that allows the sale of dogs with unnecessary mutilations. The Bill would have tackled puppy smuggling, keeping primates as pets and exporting live animals for slaughter.
This is yet another example of the Tories dropping animal welfare legislation. A previous Bill that promised to end imports of fur and foie gras was also scrapped due to fears of an internal Conservative Party backlash.
This tired Tory government fails to deliver its promises and undermines animal welfare standards. Therefore, Labour is today bringing forward a binding motion that will revive the (Kept Animals) Bill and sets July 12th as the date to progress through all stages of the Bill to turn it into law.
The Conservatives are failing to meet the challenges before them and failing animals. We need a Labour government, that will deliver the protections our animals deserve.
