MSPs discuss animal welfare ahead of Scottish elections

At an event organised by Born Free and a further fourteen leading animal welfare and protection organisations, the public, journalists and organisation representatives came together to ask candidate MSPs to do more for Scotland’s animals if elected. 

The Hustings, which took place at the Edinburgh City Chambers on 14 April, was chaired by Roo Irvine, presenter of BBC’s Bargain Hunt, and brought together representatives of the main political parties to speak about how their party plans to bring progress for animal welfare.  

Speakers included: 

• Ariane Burgess – Scottish Greens 
• Helen McDade – Reform UK 
• Joanna Mowat – Scottish Conservatives 
• Catriona Munro – Scottish Labour 
• Ben Macpherson – SNP 

(Scottish Liberal Democrats were invited but could not attend) 

At Born Free we published our manifestos for the  Scottish and Welsh elections back in the Autumn. These documents set out our priorities for the political parties and their candidates, for both free-living and captive wildlife in Scotland and Wales, and for the approach we would like these jurisdictions to take to protect wildlife overseas.  

Our polling evidence clearly shows that the overwhelming majority of the public across the UK strongly support our priorities for greater protection for wildlife and higher animal welfare standards.  

The Hustings event and the recent publication of several of the main political parties’ manifestos indicate an awareness by political parties of the issues raised by Born Free. Questions relevant to Born Free’s work included a question on what parties would do to improve the enforcement of existing animal welfare laws, and whether parties would commit to reviewing the regulation of the trade in keeping wild animals as ‘exotic pets’ in Scotland. 

The Scottish Parliament has enormous influence on the welfare of the millions of animals within Scotland and the wider world. Companion, farmed and wild animals all depend on the Scottish Parliament to ensure the appropriate laws are in place to allow them to flourish, protect them from harm, and to allow people and animals to enjoy a positive relationship. 

Animals don’t have votes, but you do. With our biodiversity in crisis across the globe, and with the UK being recognised as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, we must make it clear to all our political candidates that wild animals matter, and that Britain really is a nation of animal lovers.  

If you are a resident in Scotland or Wales, please consider writing to your local prospective parliamentary candidates using the link below.