On Friday 5th July 2024 Sir Keir Starmer was officially announced as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Beginning the first Labour government in 14 years. And marking the first time a Labour leader has won the general election since Tony Blair in 2005. 

The Labour party’s manifesto was focussed around the idea of change. But what exactly does that change mean for animal welfare and the veterinary profession?

Table of contents

Bovine TB back on the agenda – will we finally see the end of the badger cull?

The badger cull has been in place since 2013 having been included in the Conservative party’s 2010 manifesto as its key tool for tackling bovine TB. Since then over 230,000 badgers have been killed, despite extensive research which has shown that it is an ineffective way of controlling the disease. And despite numerous calls for the government to end the cull. The Badger Trust have been campaigning on this issue for some time. 

The Labour party’s 2024 manifesto states, ‘we will work with farmers and scientists on measures to eradicate Bovine TB, protecting livelihoods, so that we can end the ineffective badger cull.’ 

The emphasis on the ‘ineffective badger cull’, brings some hope that this government acknowledges this is a poor disease control strategy. They may finally end the culling of badgers, and move towards investing in an effective strategy to control bovine TB using the scientific research that is available.

An answer to the export crisis?

Since the UK officially left the European Union (EU), the veterinary sector has been under increasing pressure due to the exponential increase in work needed to export animals to the EU. The absence of animal health certificates for certain species, inconsistencies between certificates and variability between individual EU countries requirements are just a few of the issues that have caused lengthy delays. And in many cases impacted animal welfare. The Labour party manifesto states‘ We will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food’ . Whilst this does not specifically mention health certificates, it is hoped that if the government is focussed on addressing this issue, any negotiation may benefit animal welfare and the veterinary sector by simplifying the process of animal exports and reducing the risk of animals being halted in transport unnecessarily. 

Support for British farmers 

The manifesto clearly states that Labour wants to improve food security in the UK and promote British farming. ‘Labour recognises that food security is national security. That is why we will champion British farming whilst protecting the environment. We will set a target for half of all food purchased across the public sector to be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards.’

Setting targets is no guarantee of them being achieved as we are well aware from any historic political manifesto. However the intention of the government to prioritise British farming and the use of locally produced food is important. And a positive for animal welfare and veterinary professionals in the farming sector.

The end of puppy farming

Lucy’s Law was brought in by the previous Conservative government in 2020; banning the sale of puppies and kittens by a third party. In order to acquire a puppy or kitten in the UK legally, it must be brought from a licensed breeder or adopted from a rescue centre. Whilst this is a positive step forward for animal welfare and a start to tackling the puppy farming crisis, illegal puppy farms still exist. We have not seen the end of this cruel trade as yet. The Labour party 2024 manifesto states ‘We will end puppy smuggling and farming’.

There is no detail in the manifesto on how the government intents to tackle this serious issue; whether they intend to build on existing legislation or take a more direct approach to tackling the criminal gangs behind the crimes. So we will have to wait and see how this is dealt with by the new cabinet. However if this issue is given more attention this would be a clear positive benefit for animal welfare. 

A ban on snare traps

Currently it is legal for land owners to use non-self-locking snare traps to catch foxes, rabbits and brown hares on their land. Snares can cause severe injuries and suffering and as a result have a significant negative impact on animal welfare. The manifesto states ‘(We will end puppy smuggling and farming) along with the use of snare traps.’

A ban on snare traps would be a welcomed policy which would significantly improve animal welfare. Again, there are no details on how the government plans to enforce this or what a ban would look like. But it is promising to see this is mentioned, and would follow the ban which has recently been implemented in Wales in 2023 and Scotland in 2024. 

A change to firearms licensing – will this have welfare implications?

The Labour manifesto explicitly states ‘Labour will improve animal welfare’. However buried within Labour’s fiscal plan is ‘full cost recovery for firearms licences’. But what does full cost recovery mean, and why is this relevant for animal welfare?

Currently a firearms licence in the UK costs around £90. This is an estimate and varies depending on the specifics of the licence and constabulary. ‘Full cost recovery’ would see this fee skyrocket and could reach as high as £400 per licence. Firearms licences are required as an alternative to chemical use for humane euthanasia of some large animal species; including equids and other large ungulates and wild deer. Additionally, safe restraint of many species of deer and ungulates and large zoological species requires darting of anaesthetic. This requires the operator to have a firearms licence. 

It is possible that with increasing costs associated with the application and acquisition of a firearms licence, it will not be financially viable for some individuals or institutions to fund this. Should this be the case the impact on animal welfare could be severe. It would be beneficial for organisations to factor this cost into their budgets going forwards to try and avoid a situation where firearms holders are reduced due to financial issues, and animal welfare suffers as a result.

The beginning of the end of animal testing 

A proportion of our profession work as named veterinary surgeons for laboratory animals involved in research studies. The use of animals in research has always been a contentious issue. These professionals work tirelessly to improve the welfare of these animals. The Labour party manifesto states ‘ we will partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing’. This statement implies we may soon see the end of animals being used in research. How long this will take and how this will look is unknown. It is unlikely to be something which happens quickly, given that in some situations, few alternatives exist. However it is a positive move for animal welfare. And something our colleagues in this sector are likely to be involved with when implementing these policies and study designs. 

A boost to biodiversity 

The State of Nature 2023 report showed that the UK has seen a significant decline in its biodiversity over last 5 decades. Since 1970 there has been a 19% loss of terrestrial and freshwater species and a staggering 54% loss of flowering plants. More positively, the study showed good evidence that well designed agri-environment schemes are benefiting nature. However stressed that the roll out of these is currently too low to see a significant impact. The report also highlighted that public sector funding for conservation has declined significantly in recent years.

Promisingly, Labour’s 2024 manifesto states, ‘We will introduce a land-use framework and make environment land management schemes work for farmers and nature’ and ‘Labour will create nine new National River Walks, one in each region of England, and establish three new National Forests in England, whilst planting millions of trees and creating new woodlands. Labour will expand nature-rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests so families can explore and wildlife can thrive, including on public land.’ 

Both of these statements are promising steps forward for British ecological conservation. The net result of this will be an improvement of wild animal welfare, with greater emphasis on habitat maintenance and protection and utilisation of farm land. Importantly, this policy also focuses around getting UK families outside and in nature. This is known to be one of the key aspects of getting the public engaged and motivated to protect our natural world.
You can read the full State of Nature 2023 report here.

Overall the future looks bright 

If the promises of the manifesto come to fruition, Labour’s manifesto looks positive for animal welfare and the veterinary sector as a whole. The end of the badger cull and an export agreement which simplifies what is currently a lengthy, costly and detrimental process, would signal a positive change in our sector. The support for British farming is a welcome change with true emphasis on UK food production. And coupled with policy to improve our biodiversity and utilise land in this country as wildlife habitat is significant. 

However, if badger culling is to end, the government will need to finally address the UK’s bovine TB problem in a constructive manner. The change to firearms licensing fees also needs to be considered by welfare organisations however; in order to prevent a loss of individuals in this sector. The need for our sector to use firearms to end suffering humanely and anaesthetise animals should not be understated. You can read the full Labour party 2024 manifesto here.

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