Ruth Jones MP on need to ban fur imports and sales
We have a real history of leading the way on animal welfare. Two years ago, Wales became the first part of the UK to ban the use of snare and glue traps. Scotland then followed, and last year Labour committed to do the same in England.
Twenty-five years ago, we did the same with the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act, raising the bar and setting an example for our neighbours to follow. Countries like Austria (2005), France (2021) and even Norway (2025) have all implemented 'fur bans' of their own, showing we were ahead of the curve.
I am proud of our record on animal welfare. But before we absolve ourselves of being complicit in the fur trade, there is another step we can and must take: banning imports and sales.
Two decades ago, we were right to ban fur farming on moral grounds – but still it is legal to import fur from beautiful, intelligent animals like foxes, mink and chinchilla.
I have seen footage from a fur farm in Finland showing foxes with raw wounds, deformed feet and infected eyes. Then there were the obese, 'monster foxes' which were the result of selective breeding to increase their yield. Make no mistake – our ancestors may have used fur to survive the winter, but there is nothing natural about the fur industry today.
Five years after covid, experts are warning us the next pandemic might come from one of these farms, where conditions are appalling for animals but perfect for viruses to mutate and make the leap to humans. This issue is urgent as the risk of a zoonotic outbreak looms large.
I have been pushing for this change with my own piece of legislation, called the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill. If passed, it would ban the import of real fur products into Britain.
Last week I carried a petition to Downing Street for the Fur Free Britain campaign with more than a million signatures and support from singer Will Young and TOWIE star Pete Wicks.
Carrying the signatures to the famous black door, we were greeted by Chief Mouser, Larry, who showed great interest in our box. Afterwards an X account belonging to 'Larry the Cat' shared our photos, asking his nearly 900,000 followers to 'leave the fur wearing to the professionals'.
I know Argus readers will agree that if an animal product like fur is too cruel to make in Britain, it's also too cruel to import from overseas. It is cruel and unnecessary, and high time we put the fur trade out of fashion.
Ruth Jones is MP for Newport West and Islwyn.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Lords' objections to Data Bill over copyright threatens its existence
Lords' objections to Data Bill over copyright threatens its existence – minister Sir Chris Bryant said the continued parliamentary ping-pong, where a bill bounces back and forth between the Lords and the Commons could "imperil" the Bill Protesters in central London in May called on the Government to ditch plans to allow AI tech firms to steal their work without payment or permission (Image: PA Wire/PA Images ) The continued refusal by the House of Lords to pass the Data Bill threatens its existence altogether, a minister has said, as the Commons passed an amendment to head off a challenge from peers. Sir Chris Bryant said the continued parliamentary ping-pong, where a bill bounces back and forth between the Lords and the Commons could "imperil" the Bill. The critical stand-off arose as artists and musicians including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, raised concerns over AI companies using copyrighted work without permission. Baroness Kidron, who directed the second Bridget Jones film, had put forward an amendment aiming to ensure copyright holders could see when their work had been used, which was overwhelmingly passed by the Lords for the second time last week. However this has not won Government backing. In a concession to win around the Lords, the Government has instead said it will give a parliamentary statement six months after the passage of the Bill, where it will update MPs and peers on an economic impact assessment, and a report on the use of copyright works in the development of AI. A parliamentary working group will also be established. Article continues below Technology minister Sir Chris said the amendments showed the Government had "unequivocally heard concerns". However Conservative chairwoman of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee Dame Caroline Dinenage said MPs had been "gaslit". MPs voted in favour of the Government's amendment, which replace the changes put forward by Lady Kidron, by 304 votes to 189, majority 115. These will now go back to the Lords for peers to approve. During the last session in the Lords, where Lady Kidron had successfully forward her amendment, she told peers it she would not hold up the Bill further if the Commons chose to disagree with it. MPs heard the Bill will help establish digital verification services, a new national underground asset register which could speed up roadworks, and allow better healthcare and policing. It would also renew UK and EU data protection laws. The current agreement with Brussels will run out in December. Speaking at the start of the Bill, Sir Chris said: "Double insistence would kill the Bill, where ever the Bill has started. I take people at their word when they say that they don't want to kill the Bill." Sir Chris added: "Its provisions have the support of all parties in both Houses. "Which is why I urge this House to accept our amendments in lieu. "And I urge their Lordships not to insist on their amendment, but to agree with us. "It is worth pointing out, that if their Lordships do persist, they are not just delaying and imperilling a Bill which all parties agree is an important and necessary piece of legislation. "They are also imperilling something else of much greater significance and importance economically; our data adequacy with the European Union." He said he was "mystified" by Liberal Democrat and Conservative opposition to the Bill. "These amendments show our commitment to ensuring considered and effective solutions as I have just outlined, and demonstrate that we have unequivocally heard concerns about timing and accountability." Conservative shadow technology minister Dr Ben Spencer said the creative industries and peers "were not buying" the Government's approach. He said: "They're not buying it because the Government has lost the confidence of their stakeholders that it will bring forward legislation to enact effective and proportionate transparency requirements for AI models in the use of their creative content." Dame Caroline said Sir Chris and the Government were not engaging with the central issue. She said: "By being cloth-eared to the legitimate concerns of the world-leading creative industries for month after month after month; they have been virtually dragged kicking and screaming to this position now, where they bring forward a couple of tiny amendments. "By gaslighting members of all parties at both ends of this building who have attempted to draw attention to this. "By somehow pitting our world-leading creative industries against AI, almost somehow presenting them as luddites, that they are somehow allergic to innovation and technology when actually these are some of the most groundbreaking and innovative sectors out there; they are using AI every single day to produce world-breaking pieces of creative content." Responding, Sir Chris said: "I would just say to her (Dame Caroline) that she clearly has forgotten that the previous government actually introduced plans which would have brought forward a text and data mining exemption for commercial exploitation of copyrighted materials without any additional protections for creative industries at all. "That seems to have slipped her mind. Article continues below "We have moved a considerable deal since this Bill started. "We have moved and we have listened to what their lordships and, more importantly, what the creative industries have to say in this."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Spending review - live: Reeves to say she'll prioritise working people as NHS and defence boost expected
The government will commit £39bn over the next 10 years to fund affordable housing in what it has billed as the biggest investment in a generation. As part of her spending review, chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out plans to almost double annual investment in affordable homes to £4bn by 2029-30, compared to £2.3bn between 2021 and 2026. Labour has promised to build 1.5m homes before the next election. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to say her proposal will focus on "Britain's renewal" as she argues her priorities are "the priorities of working people". "This government's task - my task - and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities," she will say. The funding is expected to sit alongside previously announced plans, including £15.6bn for transport upgrades in England 's city regions and £16.7bn for new nuclear projects such as Sizewell C. The chancellor is also expected to announce big increases in spending on the NHS, defence and schools as part of a spending review set to include £113bn of investment thanks to looser borrowing rules. What are the challenges before chancellor as she lays out budget plans Rachel Reeves' spending review could present a tough prospect for other government departments as the chancellor seeks to balance Labour's commitments on spending with her fiscal rules. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already warned that any increase in NHS funding above 2.5 per cent is likely to mean real-terms cuts for other departments, or further tax rises to come in the budget this autumn. This could mean a budgetary squeeze for areas such as local government, the justice system and the Home Office, despite reports that policing would receive an above-inflation settlement. The chancellor has already insisted that her fiscal rules remain in place, along with Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. "I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal," she will say on Wednesday. "These are my choices. These are this government's choices. These are the British people's choices." Namita Singh11 June 2025 06:39 Reeves to say spending review will reflect 'priorities of working people' Rachel Reeves will unveil her spending review on Wednesday, arguing that her priorities are "the priorities of working people". The chancellor is expected to focus on "Britain's renewal" as she sets out her spending plans for the coming years, with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools. Arguing that the government is "renewing Britain", she will acknowledge that "too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it". She will say: "This government's task - my task - and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities." Among the main announcements is expected to be a £30 billion increase in NHS funding, a rise of around 2.8 per cent in real terms, along with an extra £4.5 billion for schools and a rise in defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP. Namita Singh11 June 2025 05:43 Government urged to disrupt 'addictive grip' of smartphones on children's life The government is being urged to create child-friendly playful neighbourhoods and disrupt the "addictive grip" of smartphones on children's lives. Closures of playgrounds, busier roads, shortened school break times and the dominance of screentime have restricted children's opportunities to play, a report has suggested. Urgent action is needed to create more opportunities for children to play outdoors and away from digital devices and social media, according to a report by the Raising the Nation Play Commission inquiry. It warned: "Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doomscrolling on their phones and often alone, while their health and wellbeing deteriorates." Namita Singh11 June 2025 05:00 Key points announced ahead of Rachel Reeve's spending review Rachel Reeves will set out her spending plans for the coming years today as she unveils her spending review. The review, which will set out day-to-day spending plans for the next three years and capital spending plans for the next four, is expected to see boosts for the NHS, defence and schools. But it is also likely to involve squeezes for other departments as the Chancellor seeks to keep within the fiscal rules she has set for herself. Her room for manoeuvre has also been further constrained by the government's U-turn on winter fuel payments, which will see the benefit paid to pensioners receiving up to £35,000 per year at a cost of around £1.25 billion to the treasury. The full details will be revealed in the Commons on Wednesday, but several announcements have already been made. They include: - £15.6 billion for public transport projects in England's city regions; - £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, including £14.2 billion for the new Sizewell C power plant in Suffolk; - £39 billion over the next 10 years to build affordable and social housing; - An extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027; - £445 million for upgrades to Welsh railways. The chancellor is also expected to announce changes to the Treasury's "green book" rules that govern whether major projects are government hopes that changing the green book will make it easier to invest in areas outside London and the South East. Namita Singh11 June 2025 04:59 IFS warns of pressure on other departments as chancellor shields NHS, defence and schools Chancellor Rachel Reeves will outline tight spending controls for most departments in a move likely to fuel concern over real-terms cuts. While the NHS, education and defence are expected to see spending rises, other areas – including parts of the Home Office – are facing tighter budgets. Policing is reportedly in line for a funding boost, but this could come at the expense of cuts elsewhere in the department. Sources close to London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have voiced concerns that the capital is being overlooked in the review. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that raising NHS funding by more than 2.5 per cent could lead to further tax rises or cuts elsewhere in the autumn budget. Despite the pressure, Ms Reeves will defend her choices, saying: 'I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal.' Labour's fiscal rules remain in place, including its manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT. Jabed Ahmed11 June 2025 04:50 Chancellor to unveil £113bn investment plan targeting NHS, defence and schools Rachel Reeves will unveil her long-awaited spending review on Wednesday, pledging to 'invest in Britain's renewal' through £113 billion of funding made possible by looser borrowing rules. The chancellor is expected to outline major increases in public spending on the NHS, defence and education, arguing that the new investment is only possible because of the 'stability' she introduced after the autumn budget. 'The priorities in this spending review are the priorities of working people,' Ms Reeves will say. 'To invest in our country's security, health and economy so working people all over our country are better off.' She will also announce reforms to the Treasury's so-called 'green book' – the rules that determine which areas receive public investment – in a bid to shift funding away from London and the South East and drive growth in other parts of the UK. Jabed Ahmed11 June 2025 04:40 What is Rachel Reeves' spending review and what might the chancellor announce? Rachel Reeves will today make one of her biggest statements to MPs since Labour's general election victory. The chancellor will unveil the results of her line by line spending review, setting out the budgets of government departments until the end of the decade. The review will be the first conducted by a Labour government since Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown's comprehensive spending review in 2007. And it will see Ms Reeves walk the tightrope between delivering on the party's election promises while seeking to squeeze within her self-imposed fiscal rules. Our political correspondents Archie Mitchell and Millie Cooke have more details on what to expect here: What is the spending review? Everything Reeves could announce to fix UK economy The Independent looks at what the spending review is, why the government has launched one and what is expected to be in it Andy Gregory11 June 2025 04:30 Spending review to include decade-long plan to deliver 1.5 million new homes The government will commit £39 billion over the next 10 years to fund affordable housing, in what it has billed as the biggest investment in a generation. As part of her spending review, chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out plans to almost double annual investment in affordable homes to £4 billion by 2029/30, compared to £2.3 billion a year between 2021 and 2026. The announcement is designed to help meet Labour's promise to build 1.5 million homes by the time of the next election. A government source said: 'We're turning the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis in this country with the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation.' The funding is expected to sit alongside previously announced plans, including £15.6 billion for transport upgrades in England's city regions and £16.7 billion for new nuclear projects such as Sizewell C. Jabed Ahmed11 June 2025 04:20 United Nations experts call for Starmer's Chagos deal to be suspended Keir Starmer is facing humiliation on the international stage after experts at the United Nations called for his controversial deal with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands to be suspended. UN special rapporteurs criticised the agreement – which hands back sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius and leases back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia for £101m per year for 99 years – for failing to protect the rights of Chagossians. Our political editor David Maddox reports: Andy Gregory11 June 2025 04:10 Planning reforms 'critical' to 1.5m homes pledge delivery clear Commons Flagship planning reforms which are "critical" to the delivery of Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million homes have cleared the Commons. MPs voted by 306 to 174, majority 132, to approve the Planning and Infrastructure Bill at third reading on Tuesday evening. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the Bill, which aims to improve certainty and decision-making in the planning system, will help to tackle the UK's housing crisis. Rhiannon James reports: Andy Gregory
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
Will Bangladesh's leader mention Tulip Siddiq in his meeting with the PM?
If Keir Starmer meets Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, as planned at Downing Street this week, their agenda will likely include the country's transition to democratic elections, scheduled for April next year, as well as how the Labour government might assist in recovering stolen Bangladeshi assets. But the unspoken tension in the room will be Labour MP and former minister Tulip Siddiq – niece of deposed Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina fled the country on 5 August 2024 following a violent state crackdown on student-led protests, in which over 800 people have been confirmed killed by law enforcement authorities. In January 2025, Siddiq resigned from her ministerial role following reports over her political and financial ties to the Awami League, her aunt's now-toppled authoritarian party. Since then, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched investigations into her alleged involvement in a multi-billion pound nuclear energy deal.
