We’re tired of waiting – it’s time to end trophy imports and #GetTheBanDone
We need the Government to make good on its promises.
It’s been more than four years since the Conservative Government promised to introduce a ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered species into the UK in its 2019 Election Manifesto.
The promised ban received very strong public support following a public consultation launched in November 2019. Repeated public opinion surveys have since confirmed overwhelming support among voter groups of all ages and political persuasions across all regions of the UK. The promise was reiterated in DEFRA’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare in May 2021, and repeated as recently as 9th January 2024 (see the Government’s latest petition response).
However, the Government has thus far failed to introduce its own Bill, relying instead on Private Members Bills from individual MPs.
Last year Henry Smith, the Conservative MP for Crawley, tabled his “Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill” , which passed through the House of Commons with only minor amendments. However, it was thwarted by a small number of Members of the House of Lords, who cynically used parliamentary procedure to ensure the Bill ran out of time and fell at the end of the Parliamentary session in November 2023.
John Spellar, the Labour MP for Warley, has since introduced an identical Private Members Bill, which passed its second reading in the House of Commons on 22nd March 2024, with the support of government as clearly articulated by DEFRA minister Rebecca Pow MP during the debate.
If we are to see the ban come into force before the General Election, it is vital the government continues to lends it full support to Mr Spellar’s Bill, and gives it sufficient Parliamentary time to pass through its remaining stages in both Houses of Parliament.
We would like to thank our supporters for writing to their MPs, urging them to support Mr Spellar’s Bill and to call on the Government to put its full weight behind it, which has proved vital to the successful passage of the Bill to date.
Born Free will continue to do all we can to secure comprehensive ban on trophy imports into the UK, as a key part of our wider campaign to finally bring an end to trophy hunting.
Thank you for your continued support.
