Aug 28

Labour launches Animal Welfare Manifesto

Following public consultation, Shadow Secretary for DEFRA, Sue Hayman, will today unveil the party’s 50-point Animal Welfare Manifesto for government.

Labour will announce radical action to strengthen animal welfare law, promote the highest level of care for domestic animals, improve welfare for animals used in sport and research and increase efforts to protect wild and marine animals.

New policies in the manifesto include:
Banning trophy hunting imports.
Banning pet primates.
The inclusion of wild animals in the increase in maximum sentencing for animal cruelty.
Banning the sale and use of snares and glue traps.
Working with international partners to stop the return of commercial whaling.
Banning electric pulse fishing.
Reviewing the use of the whip in horse racing.
The manifesto also reiterates Labour’s commitment to strengthening the Hunting Act, ending the badger cull, giving tenants the right to keep pets, enshrining animal sentience in law and ending the live export of animals for slaughter.

For rural communities, the manifesto will seek to guarantee and improve on animal welfare in farming as we leave the EU, such as tackling livestock worrying, building on best practice that many British farmers are already implementing.

The party will also appoint an Animal Welfare Commissioner to ensure animal welfare standards are always considered in new legislation and maintained in Britain’s involvement in international bodies and post-Brexit trade deals.

Building on the 2018 draft Animal Welfare 50-point plan, Labour consulted widely with Labour party members, stakeholders and the general public to bring together a grassroots animal welfare agenda for government.

Commenting on the manifesto, Sue Hayman MP said:

“Consulting with members and animal rights organisations means that our policies are not campaigns of the month like the Tories, but thought through and comprehensive measures that will bring Britain’s animal welfare policy into the 21st century.

“This suite of policies on animal welfare seeks to build upon the long standing leadership of the Labour Party on the issue 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.

“Labour will ensure that we have a comprehensive legislative agenda in place to make sure that the UK has animal rights protections equal to or better than anywhere in the world.”

Feb 04

LAWS Day Conference – Saturday 16 March 2019

Save the date.
This year’s LAWS Day Conference will take place on Saturday, 16 March in London at the Bloomsbury Baptist Church (conference room), 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8EP. The event will run from 10 am to approximately 4 pm.

Please let us know if you will be attending. There is a fee of £10 per person to cover the costs and a vegan buffet lunch will be provided.

Please email us, including your name and contact details, at labouranimalwelfaresociety@gmail.com to book your place.


The event is an important part of our policy involvement with the Labour Party and is directed at having a positive influence over Labour Party policy.


So far, speakers at the Conference include:


• Mark Avery – author and campaigner – who will be providing the latest information about commercial shoots – an activity responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of pheasants, grouse and partridge every year.


• Maisie Tomlinson, Campaigns Director, Crustacean Concern – the need for action to protect crustaceans in the UK.


• Nick Palmer, Chief Executive of CIWF in the UK – how Brexit will impact animal welfare policies and opportunities for the future


• Others TBC – news of these will appear on our Facebook page.


Please also share this event message. The event is shaping up to be of great interest and importance and it would be great to have a big attendance.

Sep 15

LAWS Karaoke Fringe Event at Labour Conference 2018

LAWS Karaoke Advert LAbour Conference 2018

Sep 13

LAWS fringe meeting, Monday 24 September

Sep 13

Template CLP motion on Labour’s Animal Welfare Plan

Raising animal welfare issues at your local constituency and branch party meetings is a great way to keep animal issues on the political agenda. it can also help

Below is a template motion to be used to raise awareness  in your local party about animal welfare issues and facilitate discussion on this often overlooked issue:

This Constituency Labour Party welcomes Labour’s Plan for Animals and encourages the National Executive Committee to promote Labour’s strong support for animal welfare in PARTY publications, broadcasts, conferences, debates and social media.

 

Read Labour’s new plan for animals here: https://labour.org.uk/issues/animal-welfare-plan/  .

Get in touch about ideas for other party motions by emailing Labour Animal Welfare Society: labouranimalwelfaresociety@gmail.com 

May 09

Stop the mountain hare killings: where does Scottish Labour stand?

The mountain hare is native to the Scottish Highlands. In their white winter coats, bounding over the snow, they are an iconic image of the ‘untameable’ wild Scotland that we all love. Yet this beautiful animal is routinely shot – even in the Cairngorms National Park – by hunting parties out for the thrill, and by gamekeepers managing land for red grouse shooting. They fear the mountain hare will spread disease, reducing the amount of grouse they can shoot. As a result, tens of thousands are thought to be eradicated every year, with one study finding that between March 2006 and February 2007, 24,529 mountain hares were killed in Scotland.

Many mountain hares are likely to suffer. Shooting hares is notoriously challenging as they are small, fast moving animals and because the shooting takes place in an environment where plenty of cover is available. This heightens the risk of injury rather than clean kills. Furthermore, commercial hunts may involve hunters with little experience, adding to this risk. As shooting is not a licensed activity there is no welfare monitoring or reporting so it’s impossible to know the scale of the suffering.

Where does Scottish labour stand on this shocking treatment of these beautiful animals?

Below is the description of Labour’s position from Scottish campaign group One Kind.

Scottish Labour

15 out of 23 MSPs have responded so far – Alex Rowley MSP, Richard Leonard MSP, Johann Lamont MSP, Daniel Johnson MSP, Colin Smyth MSP, Elaine Smith MSP, Anas Sarwar MSP, Jenny Marra MSP, Neil Findlay MSP, Claire Baker MSP, Kezia Dugdale MSP, Claudia Beamish MSP, Rhoda Grant MSP, David Stewart MSP, Neil Bibby MSP

We’re delighted to see that the Scottish Labour Party are opposed to the mass killing of mountain hares and state in their response to our campaign that they will “do everything possible to make sure that the unnecessary killing of hares does not take place in Scotland.”

The email reply given from the majority of MSPs stated that:

“Mountain hares are a vital part of our heritage of the Highlands, and it is a tragedy that so many are needlessly killed each year. We agree that there has been no evidence to support the rationale for a cull, and we support an audit of hare numbers in Scotland.”

Both Alex Rowley MSP and Colin Smyth MSP gave more personalised responses – Alex Rowley stated that he was “horrified by the terrible pictures we saw of mass killings” and Colin Smyth MSP said “ongoing killing of mountain hares is extremely worrying” and that he was “deeply concerned that the Cabinet Secretary does not appear to recognise the need to better protect mountain hares.”

It was also pointed out that Claudia Blemish MSP has submitted a Mountain Hares in Scotland Motion  that notes that “mountain hares are a vital part of the heritage of the Highlands, and that it is a tragedy that so many are needlessly killed each year”

_______________________________________

If you feel strongly about this issue, why not raise it at your local party meetings?

Below is a draft motion for you to take to your local branch and/or constituency Labour meetings.

For further information on the mountain hare killing in Scotland, see the One Kind website.

Draft CLP or Branch Motion

XXX Branch believes that XXX CLP should condemn the mass killing of mountain hares in Scotland.

This Branch/CLP notes:

  • Mountain hares are native to the uplands of Scotland. They are different from brown hares by the way their coats change to white during the winter months.
  • Most mountain hare killing is conducted as part of ‘culls’ on commercial shooting estates.
  • Estate managers kill the hares as they believe it will help control a virus that affects red grouse but scientific experts to the Scottish Government advise: “There is no clear evidence that mountain hare culls serve to increase red grouse densities”.
  • Tens of thousands of mountain hares are killed every year.
  • Mountain hares suffer greatly in the culls. Shooting hares is notoriously challenging as they are small, fast moving animals. This heightens the risk of injury rather than clean kills.
  • Campaigning groups have documented the practice of mountain hare killing and their videos show the true extent of the cruelty involved.

This Branch/CLP believes that:

  • This extraordinary carnage has no place in the Scottish countryside.
  • The only rational response is to give these beautiful animals the protection they urgently need.
  • The Scottish government needs to take urgent action if it is to prevent further killing before the open season starts once again in August.
  • The Stop the Mountain Hare slaughter campaigns organised by OneKind, League Against Cruel Sports and Lush, backed by the Labour Animal Welfare Society, should be supported.

This Branch/CLP resolves:

  • To write to Richard Leonard, Scottish Labour Leader, and Claudia Bleamish, Scottish Labour’s Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, thanking them for supporting the Stop The Mountain Hare Slaughter campaign and urging them to keep up the pressure on the Scottish Government to take action.

Apr 09

Have Your Say: Labour’s Animal Welfare Consultation

 

Recently, Labour launched a 50-point animal welfare plan, detailing the policies the party would seek to implement if and when it forms a government. 

 

Labour has always been the party that has taken the lead in animal welfare and animal rights issues are important to Labour supporters.  So we wanted to remind you that you can currently tell the party how you feel about their animal welfare policy programme.

Have your say on Labour’s animal welfare policies here:  http://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/animal-welfare-consultation

 

Proposed policies include:

· Enshrining the principle of animal sentience in law, ensuring it covers all policy areas to prevent practices that expose animals to cruel and degrading treatment
· Strengthening the Hunting Act to close loopholes that allow illegal hunting
· Consult landlords on giving tenants the default right to keep pets unless there is evidence the animal is causing a nuisance
· Mandatory labelling of domestic and imported meat, including country of origin, method of production and slaughter (stun or non-stun)
· Establishing an independent zoo inspectorate to draw up revised standards of animal welfare
· Total ban on imports of Foie Gras
· Ending the badger cull
· Requiring motorists to report accidents where an animal has been injured
· Banning live exports of animals for slaughter or fattening and introducing mandatory CCTV in all slaughterhouses
· Designing post-Brexit farm subsidies to move away from intensive factory farming and bad environmental practices
· Prohibiting the third party sale of puppies and tackling puppy smuggling by reintroducing rabies testing before entry into the UK
· Working with organisations like the PDSA to expand accessibility to affordable vet care for pet owners on low incomes
· A comprehensive review of animal testing with a view to improving practice, limiting animal suffering and increasing transparency
· Introducing a ‘blue belt’ to protect and enhance the marine environment around the UK and our overseas territories

As mentioned, the party currently has an open consultation on animal welfare issues and is seeking your ideas ‘to help shape our thinking’.

This is also a great opportunity for members to get involved in animal welfare policy, so if you have areas of interest or further suggestions then please contribute here:  http://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/animal-welfare-consultation

We expect the consultation to be open until May.

 

Mar 09

Labour’s new animal welfare plan unveiled

Labour has launched radical action on Animal Welfare that would look at introducing 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, end the badger cull, implement a review of animal testing and expand affordable vet care for people on low incomes.

The 50 point draft policy document, ‘Animal Welfare For The Many, Not The Few,’ is out for public consultation and proposes appointing an Animal Welfare Commissioner to ensure 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.

The announcement has been welcomed by a number of animal welfare organisations.

Proposed policies include:

· Enshrining the principle of animal sentience in law, ensuring it covers all policy areas to prevent practices that expose animals to cruel and degrading treatment
· Strengthening the Hunting Act to close loopholes that allow illegal hunting
· Consult landlords on giving tenants the default right to keep pets unless there is evidence the animal is causing a nuisance
· Mandatory labelling of domestic and imported meat, including country of origin, method of production and slaughter (stun or non-stun)
· Establishing an independent zoo inspectorate to draw up revised standards of animal welfare
· Total ban on imports of Foie Gras
· Ending the badger cull
· Requiring motorists to report accidents where an animal has been injured
· Banning live exports of animals for slaughter or fattening and introducing mandatory CCTV in all slaughterhouses
· Designing post-Brexit farm subsidies to move away from intensive factory farming and bad environmental practices
· Prohibiting the third party sale of puppies and tackling puppy smuggling by reintroducing rabies testing before entry into the UK
· Working with organisations like the PDSA to expand accessibility to affordable vet care for pet owners on low incomes
· A comprehensive review of animal testing with a view to improving practice, limiting animal suffering and increasing transparency
· Introducing a ‘blue belt’ to protect and enhance the marine environment around the UK and our overseas territories

Labour Animal Welfare Society said: 

It is fantastic that animal welfare is a priority for Labour. Good animal welfare policies are popular and important to the electorate.

Past Labour Governments had an historic impact on animal welfare, from the Hunting Act, to the Animal Welfare Act, to the globally admired ban on fur factory farming.

Labour’s new animal welfare policy is not only true to this legacy, it builds on it and takes animal welfare to the next level. The next Labour Government will be a good government for animals.

 

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, said:

“Labour is the party of animal welfare. From bringing in the ban on fox hunting to tightening the rules on the transport of live animals, Labour has always been consistent in our leadership on matters of animal welfare.

We’re making proposals for real, long-term progress. Our vision is one where no animal is made to suffer unnecessary pain and we continue to drive up standards and practice in line with the most recent advances and understanding.

“With new trade deals on the horizon and the UK no longer subject to EU-wide rules on animal welfare, we want to ensure there is a comprehensive legislative agenda in place so that the UK becomes a world leader on animal rights.”

Read the full Animal Welfare Plan here:

Animal Welfare Plan

The Labour Party has made this policy document open for consultation. This is also a great opportunity for members to get involved in the party’s animal welfare policy, so if you have areas of interest or further suggestions then please contribute here:  http://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/animal-welfare-consultation

Sep 15

Conference Karaoke 2017!

Mar 03

LAWS DAY CONFERENCE

March 11, 2017

Bloomsbury Baptist Church, London WC2H 8EP

TIMETABLE

10.15 – 10.30 Tea, coffee biscuits

10.30 – 10.40 opening remarks and welcome

10.40 – 11.05 Commercial shooting – panel discussion with Luke Steele

11.05 – 11.30 Dominic Dyer, Born Free The Ivory Trade and update on badger cull

11.30- 12.00 Nick Palmer (CFI) Labour AW policy development

12.00 – 12.30 Luke Steele, Animal Aid ‘CCTV In Slaughterhouses: The Case Is Made’

Lunch 12.30 – 13.15

13.15 – 13.45 Philip Lymbury (CIWF) Factory farming and extinction: what’s the link?

13.45 – 14.15 David Thomas Implications of Brexit

14.15 – 14.45 Film by Campaign Whale – ‘Grindahvalur’ – the Faroese pilot whale slaughter

14.45 – 15.15 Closing Q&A and thankyous

15.15 Conference ends