Animal welfare: campaigners angry after government scraps protection bill

Campaigners and opposition MPs have reacted furiously after the government abandoned its flagship animal welfare bill.

The legislation would have seen tougher sentences introduced for animal cruelty, and a crackdown on illegal dog smuggling, but ministers said the bill risked being extended “far beyond” its original commitments.

What was the bill?

The Kept Animals Bill was part of the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto and pledged to improve several areas of animal welfare including a ban on excessively long journeys for slaughter and new protection for sheep and primates.

It was first introduced to Parliament in summer 2021 but faced repeated delays - partly because of the political crisis at Westminster last year - and has now been scrapped altogether.

In the Commons, Environment Minister Mark Spencer told MPs that while the bill would not progress, the Tories would keep their manifesto commitments by introducing smaller pieces of legislation on individual issues.

Spencer accused Labour of playing “political games” by widening the bill’s scope - and said the government’s new approach was the “surest and quickest way” to deliver its manifesto promises.

He also announced a consultation on handing people who commit offences against animals fines of up to £5,000.

How has Labour responded?

Shadow Environment Minister Alex Sobel said the decision marked “a profound setback for animal welfare in the UK.” He went on: “It confirms once again that the government is too weak to deliver their own legislation. This time it’s innocent animals who will suffer the consequences.”

What have campaigners said?

The charity Humane Society International-UK said the move was an “astonishing betrayal of both animals and public trust” and accused the government of fearing “uncomfortable debates on polarising issues such as hunting with dogs.”

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation - which counts Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie Johnson and Michael Gove among its patrons - added that it was a “missed opportunity to further enhance the welfare and protection of animals across the United Kingdom.”

The former Tory Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers also expressed “frustration and disappointment”, and appealed to the government to “bring a new bill” and “get on with this”.