MPs vote that ‘animals can’t feel pain or emotion’ as part of Brexit bill
‘It’s shocking that MPs have given animal sentience the thumbs down’, say animal rights activists
MPs have voted to reject the inclusion of a clause that states animals can feel emotion and pain into the EU withdrawal bill.
The government “faced a backlash after voting to dismiss animal sentience from the Brexit bill,” says The Evening Standard.
The clause would have enshrined into UK law the recognition that animals feel pain and emotion, an admission currently covered by EU law.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some 80% of animal welfare legislation “currently comes from the EU but after March 2019 European law will no longer apply in the UK,” explains Metro.
The move has been criticised by animal rights activists, who say the vote undermines environment secretary Michael Gove’s pledge to prioritise animal rights during Brexit.
The government said during the debate before the vote that this clause is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, but the RSPCA disputed the claim.
RSPCA head of public affairs David Bowles said: “It’s shocking. This is truly a backward step for animal welfare.”
“Only domestic animals are really covered by the provisions of the act and animals in the wild and laboratories are expressly exempt. It is simply wrong for the Government to claim that the act protects animal sentience.”
Nick Palmer, head of policy at Compassion in World Farming, said: "How can the UK be seen as a leader in animal welfare when the repeal bill fails to guarantee that animals will continue to be regarded as sentient beings?
"We urge the government to reintroduce the commitment into the Bill."
Bowles added: “In the EU, we know that the recognition of animals as sentient beings has been effective in improving animal welfare across the region.”
“If the UK is to achieve the Environment Secretary’s objective of achieving the highest possible animal welfare post-Brexit, it must do the same.”
Animal sentience “was incorporated into EU law in 2009 via the Lisbon Treaty, following years of campaigning by animal rights activists,” reports The Independent.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Turkey divided over 'massacre law' to combat stray dogs
Under the Radar Many argue growing dog population is dangerous and dirty; others see them as historic and 'integral' aspect of Turkish culture
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Colombia’s growing ‘cocaine hippo’ problem
feature Descendants of animals once owned by druglord Pablo Escobar pose serious threat to humans and wildlife
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Norway euthanised ‘beloved’ walrus Freya
Speed Read The 600kg animal had become a popular attraction in the Oslo Fjord
By The Week Staff Published
-
Shell’s North Sea oil U-turn: ‘a first victory in a longer war’?
Speed Read Controversy after oil giant pulls out of proposed Cambo project
By The Week Staff Published
-
Fires, floods and storms: America’s ‘permanent emergency’ has begun
Speed Read This summer of climate horror feels like the ‘first, vertiginous 15 minutes of a disaster movie’, says The New York Times
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Hot air and empty rhetoric: is the UK acting too slowly on climate change?
Speed Read ‘Every day, new evidence accumulates that humanity is on an unsustainable path’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Germany floods: what led to this ‘once-in-a-century’ disaster?
Speed Read Nearly 200 people died in Germany and Belgium; hundreds are still unaccounted for
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Penguin colony at risk as Somerset-sized iceberg bears down on British overseas territory
Speed Read Several species face starvation if the icy giant blocks access to feeding grounds
By Aaron Drapkin Published