Heartbreak as UK Government Drops Promise to Protect Animals in Queen’s Speech

AIA and its member organisations are appalled that the UK Government has dropped a number of its animal welfare plans from the Queen’s speech. 

These include bans on the import of fur and foie gras (the production of which are already banned within the UK), a ban on advertising animal tourism practices involving cruelty, such as elephant riding, and the imports of trophies from hunting.  These were to be addressed in the Animals Abroad Bill, now dropped.

This is a complete betrayal of animals and the public who are overwhelmingly of the opinion that laws should be passed to protect animals. Recent national polling from the #DontBetrayAnimals campaign shows British voters want to see the Government deliver on its promise to protect animals.

• Almost three quarters (72%) of respondents want to see this Government pass more laws designed to improve animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty,
• More than three quarters (77%) want to see the Government ban the importation of animal products with production methods already banned in the UK, including fur.
• An April 2022 MRP poll shows 85% want a law to ban UK adverts for foreign tourism practices that “train” elephants and other species by severe abuse.

AIA are writing to the Government to express our dismay and to ask for these important animal welfare issues to be re-instated on the legislative agenda. Please write to your MP.

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Notes on Polling Data

• *The polling was run on the Focaldata platform. Data was collected from a nationally representative sample of 10,018 adults between 11th and 20^th April 2022. Using the polling data, Focaldata completed a constituency-level analysis using MRP modelling.
• Over three quarters (77%) of voters think UK Government should ban the importation of animal products, such as fur, where farming and production methods are banned in the UK, including:
  • 82% of women and 72% of men
  • 61% of 18 – 24 year olds, 73% of 25-36 year olds, 76% 35 – 44 year olds, 82% of 45 – 54 year olds, 82% 55 – 64 year olds, 81% of 65+
• The MRP polling analysis estimates support amongst:
  • Over three quarters (78%) of the 10, 15, and 20 most marginal Conservative-held seats
  • Almost three quarters (74%) of Red Wall voters
  • Over three quarters (79%) of voters in the Cabinet’s constituencies
  • 15 Cabinet members with 80%+ support are: Dominic Raab, Liz Truss, Sajid Javid, Kwasi Kwarteng, Alok Sharma, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Therese Coffey, Nadhim Zahawi, George Eustice, Brandon Lewis, Chris Heaton-Harris, Suella Braverman, Kit Malthouse, Michelle Donelan, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
• Almost three quarters (72%) of voters would like to see the UK Government pass more laws designed to improve animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty, including:
  • 75% of women and 69% of men
  • 66% of 18 – 24 year olds, 75% of 25 – 34 year olds, 74% of 35 – 44 year olds, 74% of 45 – 55 year olds, 73% of 55 – 64 year olds, 69% of 65+

The MRP polling analysis estimates support amongst:

• Over three quarters (72%) of the 1-0,15 and 20 most marginal Conservative held seats
  • Almost three quarters (70%) of Red Wall voters
  • Almost three quarters (72%) of voters in the Cabinet’s constituencies

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Read our open letter to Boris Johnson here:

Open Letter to Boris Johnson on Animal Welfare U-Turn