Slaughter laws ‘jeopardise religious freedom’
Up to 60 Tory MPs prepared to vote down proposed animal welfare restrictions on halal meat
GEORGE EUSTICE has been warned that up to 60 Tory MPs could rebel if the Government attempts to push through animal welfare rules to restrict the amount of halal and kosher meat.
A row threatens to erupt between backbench MPs and the Environment Secretary over quotas on the amount of animals that can be slaughtered without stunning. An amendment to the Animal
Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill would toughen legislation to ensure the meat industry provides proof of a religious requirement for animals to be slaughtered this way.
The proposal is to be put forward by Chris Loder, a Tory MP and animal welfare advocate, who argues his plan would not prohibit the production of non-stunned meat for religious groups.
Mr Loder argues it would minimise the number of animals slaughtered in this way by ensuring that limits align with the demand for non-stun meat among religious communities.
But the prospect of new restrictions has angered Tory MPs in constituencies with Muslim and Jewish communities, with critics claiming it represents a crackdown on religious freedoms. Sources claim that as many as 50 to 60 Tory MPs are now prepared to vote down the amendment.
Several also argue that only a small proportion of the meat on the market is kosher, meaning any restrictions would likely be seen as targeted at the Muslim community.
Animal welfare legislation already requires all animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise suffering, but a religious exemption enables religious communities to meet Jewish and Muslim diets.
Animal welfare campaigners believe this exemption is being used by abattoirs to increase the amount of non-stun slaughter they carry out because it is simpler and more cost-effective. While the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has refused to say whether it will back the amendment, it is understood that Mr Eustice and other ministers in the department are privately supportive. They are said to favour introducing a quota, similar to the one in Germany, based on assessment of the need of orthodox religious communities and requiring abattoirs to apply for a licence and demonstrate that they have an actual market for the food.
The Government is split over the issue, with No10 yet to take a position. MPs opposed to the plans include Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister and MP for High Wycombe, and Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, who represents Altrincham in Greater Manchester.
Last night Mr Baker said: “If we want to govern this country we have got to respect people’s religious freedoms. I’m certain every Conservative who like me has a significant Muslim population will understand how dearly people hold this principle of respecting the animal by minimising their suffering.
“They will know they will lose their seats if Muslims’ religious freedoms are not respected in this area.”
Sir Graham also confirmed he would vote against it, while a third senior Tory said: “The big issue about this is it’s really unconservative. It feels almost Stalinist. Loads of red wallers believe Labour will use this to say we are anti certain communities.”
As a backbench MP, Mr Eustice called for MPs to be given a free vote on religious non-stun slaughter in July 2019, arguing that there had been an “alarming rise” in the number of animals killed using these methods.
He pointed to figures by the Food Standards Agency in 2017, suggesting that 25 per cent of all sheep slaughtered in the UK are killed without stunning.
‘They will know they will lose their seats if Muslims’ religious freedoms are not respected in this area’