Commons Sense

Over recent months, I have been contacted by numerous constituents, anxious about the future of animal welfare, food and environmental standards, with many rightly concerned that they will not be upheld when it comes to future trade deals. Without the necessary legal guarantees in place, our high standards risk being undercut by cheap, low-quality imports, which would be illegal if they were grown or produced in the UK.

In Parliament, I voted for amendments to both the Agricultural Bill and the Trade Bill, which would have upheld standards, requiring imports meet animal welfare, environmental, plant health and food safety standards, at least as high as those required for UK produced goods. Disappointingly, these amendments were voted down by the Tory Government, despite widespread support from farming and environmental groups and the public. Just this week, the

House of Lords voted cross-party to defeat Government on amendments to guarantee high food standards post-Brexit, citing their concern about undercutting UK farmers and jeopardising rural communities.

The Conservative Party made a manifesto commitment that in all trade negotiations, it would not compromise the UK’s high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards, and would bring in new laws on animal sentience. Yet, they have not acted on these promises and are unable to say when this legislation will be brought forward.

I have long supported enshrining the principle of animal sentience in law and have consistently called on the UK Government to implement this important legislation as soon as possible and certainly before the end of the Brexit transition period.

This law needs to confer an active duty to respect that sentience on all aspects of government and an annual report should be published detailing how this duty has been acted upon. I also support the appointment of an independent Animal Welfare Commissioner, to operate in England and in collaboration with the devolved Administrations, to ensure policy is continually informed by the latest scientific evidence on animal sentience and best practice in animal welfare.