25/7/19 – UK – Good News for Animal Welfare.
As some of you are aware, yesterday saw the appointment of Mr Boris Johnson as the new Prime Minister of the UK. Mr Johnson has the intention of getting the UK out of the EU by the end of October 2019.
Given all the failings of the EU which we continuously present in posts on this site; especially those regarding intensive farming and live animal transport; for which basically EU Commissioners do not have a clue about taking action on; we were more than please to see within just a few hours of his new position of PM, Mr Johnson has appointed Theresa Villiers as his new Minster at DEFRA; who are responsible for both farm animal welfare issues, as well as that of live animal transport.
It was a welcome to have an e mail this morning; informing that the issue of intensive animal keeping in cages – pigs, chickens etc – is now to be debated by the UK parliament in the House on 9/9/2019.
A petition supported by the British public; only for people who reside in the UK, has resulted in 105,572 signatures to date, which means that the House will debate this issue with a possible view to legislation changes.
The wording of the petition is:
Across the UK, millions of farmed animals are kept in cages, unable to express their natural behaviours. This causes huge suffering.
We call on the UK government to end this inhumane practice by banning all cages for farmed animals. Cages are cruel.
This cannot be the future of British farming.
We, the undersigned, call on the Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs to bring forward legislation that amends the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 to prohibit the use of:
- a) barren and enriched cages for farmed animals including cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, pheasants, partridges, guinea fowl;
b) farrowing crates for sows;
c) individual calf pens
So, the British public, who naturally have concerns about animals and their welfare, are now getting the issue of ‘caged’ animals discussed in Parliament, with a view to legislation change.
This is something that the EU is incapable of; despite so many MEP’s allegedly representing ‘us’ – the common EU citizen ! thus is it any wonder that the UK wants to take back control and get away from the do nothing society of the EU ? – the UK can, and probably will, get out of the EU very soon and make its own new legislation for farm animals which will greatly benefit them. At the moment, as a member state of the EU, the UK has to bow to its Brussels masters and do what they require, despite detrimental effects on animal welfare, which basically the UK citizens detest !
UK citizens regard animals a ‘sentient beings’, who do have rights for their welfare and who must be respected in this. Sadly, the EU talks big on the issue, but as we have shown at the moment with the Romania sheep exported to the Middle East, and a temporary halt on live animal transport in some parts of the EU because of the heat; the EU seems completely incapable of putting 1 and 1 together to make 2.
Why stop animal transport in some parts of the EU, yet allow Romanian sheep (70,000) to be exported live to the Middle east in temperatures some 10 degrees ABOVE the EU, which has a partial ban ? !!
Nothing EU makes any sense as we have recently shown; and because of this, the UK will be glad to walk away from the ‘Yukspeak’ politicians of the EU, who talk big and in reality, do nothing.
Further, we are delighted to see that Teresa Villiers MP is ow the Minister at DAFRA, and we send our congratulations to her on her position.
Out of around 650 MP’s who represent the people in the House of Commons; Theresa has always been known both for her vocal hatred, and her actions on the issue of live animal transport. She is 110% ANTI live animal exports.
When the UK leaves the EU in the coming months, again the UK can take back control from its EU masters and enforce a ban on the export of live animals from the UK. Under Theresa, we think and hope this will be a priority in her new position at DEFRA.
By getting out of the EU, the UK will be doing the right thing for many; including animals and their welfare. The EU is currently incapable of enforcing any of its own legislation regarding animal welfare – the ‘masters’ are the whipping boys of the meat mafia lobbyists, and EU ‘animal welfare’ fails big time as a result of what the industry wants, and gets, via gutless politicians at the EU.
UK welfare organisations; and it has some good ones; will continue the fight for animals from outside of the EU. But the UK will be establishing its own controls for animal welfare, not relying on the dead bats at the EU who basically, do nothing.
Regards Mark
One of the three stranded cows in Tenerife, April 2019
