“It’s illegal to produce fur in the UK and it’s illegal to produce foie gras. We have to address the contradiction that if it’s too cruel to be produced here in the UK it’s too cruel to import it.”
The prime minister is set to scrap the proposed banning of foie gras and fur importing to the UK. Truss is also reportedly planning to abandon pledges to ban the export of live animals for slaughter. A ban on the import of hunting trophies is also in danger of heading for the scrap heap.
Talking to Politico, a senior Conservative said rather than banning imports of foie gras and fur, the government could bring in labelling to explain the processes used to produce the controversial products to consumers.
“Banning things seems very socialist. Informing people is the way to go,” said the Tory source.
Fur farming has been banned in England and Wales since 2000 and in Scotland and Northern Ireland since 2002. It is still however possible to import fur from abroad.
Animal Welfare Action Plan
Curbs on live exports and bringing an end to hunting trophy imports were part of the Tories’ election manifesto. They were also promised in the party’s Animal Welfare Action Plan, alongside the banning of foie gras and fur importing,
As part of the Animal Welfare Action Plan, published in May 2021, the government proposed an Animals Abroad Bill, aimed at tackling animal cruelty and to support conservation efforts abroad. The Bill was designed to ban imports of fur, foie gras, hunting trophies, and end the promotion of elephant tourist rides overseas.
However, in February, several right-wing members of the cabinet, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, opposed the anti-animal cruelty measures. Rees-Mogg said he was in opposition to the bans because he believes people should have the right to be able choose to purchase products in cruel ways if they want to.
Other Tory ministers, including defence secretary Ben Wallace, also raised concerns that banning fur imports could result in the import of bear-fur hats that are worn by guardsman soldiers no longer being permitted.
Truss sacks Zac Goldsmith
Fears about the future of animal welfare under the current government circulated when Liz Truss stripped environmentalist and Tory peer Zac Goldsmith of the domestic animal brief at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), as part of her cabinet reshuffle. Goldsmith has long championed animal welfare issues, introducing reforms such as a ban on ivory sales and more severe jail terms for animal cruelty. His sacking ignited fears about Truss’s commitment to animal welfare and tackling climate change.
Tory MP Henry Smith said: “Zac has been a fantastic champion of animal welfare issues in government and, despite all the other distractions, he’s been instrumental in delivering quite a few pieces of legislation that have made it on to the statute books … I would expect the government to fulfil all its manifesto commitments and pledges on animal welfare, regardless of which individuals occupy roles in various departments.”
Now, news that the bans on foie gras and fur importing could be dropped has raised further concerns among animal rights and environmental campaigners.
Claire Bass, who leads the strategic planning and delivery of Humane Society International/UK’s national campaigns, including the #FurFreeBritain campaign, said it was perplexing and surprising that senior Conservatives wanted to row back on popular measures introduced in the Animal Welfare Action Plan.
“Animals matter to voters, and people will not be content with oft-recycled rhetoric about being a ‘world leader in animal welfare’ if it’s not accompanied by meaningful action,” she said.
“Banning fur imports is not un-Conservative, it’s simply the right thing to do in line with the British public’s moral compass,” said Bass.
‘Bitterly disappointed’
Lorraine Platt, co-founder of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, said she was “bitterly disappointed” by the news.
She said the UK should match up its import rules with its domestic production rules, so that there would be no more imports of fur and foie gras.
“It’s illegal to produce fur in the UK and it’s illegal to produce foie gras. We have to address the contradiction that if it’s too cruel to be produced here in the UK it’s too cruel to import it.”
Talking to the Independent about the plans to ditch the proposed bans, Platt said: “It would be a huge let-down, not only for those who work for these campaigns daily but also for the millions of animals involved.
“Banning live exports and hunting trophies were manifesto commitments, and some people vote on manifesto commitments at elections.”
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward
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