I really struggle to have a soft spot for a prawn! Ian Botham takes the lead in battle against ‘bizarre’ law to recognise that animals have feelings
- Animal Welfare Bill would enshrine into law principle that animals are sentient
- Currently would apply to vertebrates but could be extended to invertebrates
- Lord Botham leading alliance against bill with Tory donors and farming leaders
Ian Botham is leading a formidable alliance of opponents to new laws recognising that animals have feelings, with the former cricketer joining forces with Tory donors and farming leaders to lobby against the proposed legislation.
The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill would enshrine in law the principle that animals are sentient and would create an animal sentience committee to scrutinise whether Ministers had paid due regard to their policies’ ‘adverse effect on the welfare of animals’.
But Lord Botham, a country sports enthusiast who was ennobled by Boris Johnson last year as a crossbench peer, has described it as ‘bizarre’ that the Government wants to recognise in law that ‘a fish has feelings’, saying: ‘I really do struggle to have a soft spot for a prawn.’
At present the proposed new law would apply only to vertebrates, but it could be expanded to include invertebrates such as lobsters.
Last night Lord Botham’s views were echoed by Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union.
She said that tying up NFU members in welfare legislation would add to their cost burden as they try to compete in international post-Brexit markets.
Ms Batters said that while she was ‘proud that we were the first country in the world to legislate on animal welfare standards, the Bill would carry extremely grave consequences for farming businesses across the country’.
Lord Ian Botham’s (pictured) views were echoed by Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union
Ms Batters added: ‘It will make British farmers completely uncompetitive with their new global trading partners.’
Mr Johnson is also facing pressure from Tory donors.
Lord Spencer of Alresford, a billionaire City titan who has given about £5 million to the party, is one of a number who have written to Mr Johnson to warn that the Bill could be ‘hijacked’ by activists to campaign against country sports, block infrastructure projects in areas populated by wildlife or prevent trade deals with countries that have lower animal welfare standards.
Lord Spencer, a former party treasurer, has described the Bill as ‘very poorly drafted’. Members of the Cabinet have also privately expressed concerns.
The animal sentience committee’s advice is not binding but Ministers would have to respond to its findings in a statement to Parliament.
Although Downing Street strongly denies that Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie has any influence over the decision to legislate, in 2017 she tweeted: ‘The Conservatives WILL make sure animal sentience is recognised in UK law.
‘But we want to go even FURTHER and become a world leader in the protection of animals.’
The Bill is supported by Lord Goldsmith, the Animal Welfare Minister, who is a long-standing friend of Mrs Johnson.
A Defra spokesman said: ‘The UK has always led the way on animal welfare and now that we’ve left the EU we are free to drive for the highest standards of animal welfare anywhere in the world.’
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