Leona Lewis and Will Young urge Rishi Sunak to stop ‘hanging animals out to dry’

Two years on from the publication of the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which promised to ‘revolutionise the treatment of animals in the UK’, celebrities including Dame Joanna Lumley, Leona Lewis, Susie Dent and Will Young have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stating that animals “have been badly let down”. The celebrities, joining forces with leading UK animal charities Animal Aid, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS UK, Humane Society International/UK, PETA UK and the RSPCA, lament a lack of progress on addressing issues such as ending live animal exports, exploring action on the import and sale of fur products and banning keeping primates as pets. The signatories call on the Government to deliver its Action Plan in full.

In addition to the letter from celebrities, 25 of the country’s largest animal protection groups including the RSPCA have published an open letter to Rishi Sunak, detailing the Government’s inaction on vital animal welfare measures over the last two years and stating, ‘Our patience, and our trust, has now been exhausted.’ The organisations urge the Prime Minister to ensure that his Government will not abandon its promise of world-leading action for animals that millions of British people are waiting for.

Of the dozens of ‘game changing welfare measures’ pledged in the Action Plan to better protect animals at home and overseas, only around a quarter have been delivered so far. The Kept Animals Bill, containing several Conservative manifesto promises, such as banning live exports for slaughter and fattening and stopping the cruel trade in puppies, has not been given Parliamentary time for over 17 months. The Action Plan’s flagship legislation recognising animal sentience and requiring it to be considered when formulating and implementing Government policy has still not been brought into force.

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK said: “The Government’s apparent disinterest and unwillingness to deliver its own Action Plan for animals is frankly baffling. MPs tell us they receive more constituent correspondence calling for better animal protection than any other issue, so passing legislation like the Kept Animals Bill and a ban on fur imports should be an easy and obvious choice in terms of popular policy. But instead, we and animals are enduring endless delays, seemingly deprioritised by this Government despite huge public concern. We urge Mr Sunak to remember his Party’s promises and start delivering the action that animals deserve, and voters expect.”

“Animals are in peril, and the government has seemingly abandoned them as time is running out for it to make good on its word,” says PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen. “PETA is calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ensure the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill becomes law, along with every other piece of promised pro-animal legislation without further delay.”

Coinciding with the letters, the animal charities held an eye-catching demonstration in Westminster this morning (Tuesday 9 May). Campaigners dressed as Rishi Sunak and Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey staged a scene of animals being “hung out to dry” on a washing line in front of Downing Street.