Party Policies

These are the animal policies in the Liberal Democrat manifesto. You can read the full manifesto online, with the ‘Animal Welfare’ element included in the ‘Our plan for a Green Economy and Green Society’ section.

On Animal Aid’s four election asks

• None of these appear in the manifesto.

Other key animal policies include:

• Enshrine the principle of animal sentience in UK law to ensure that due regard is paid to animal welfare in policymaking.
• Introduce stronger penalties for animal cruelty offences, increasing the maximum sentencing from six months to five years, and ensure that the National Wildlife Crime Unit is properly funded.
• Ban the sale of real fur, end the use of primates as pets, clamp down on illegal pet imports and establish an independent regulatory body for horse welfare to prevent the abuse and avoidable deaths of racehorses.
• Improve standards of animal health and welfare in agriculture, including a ban on caged hens, and promote the responsible use of antimicrobials.
• Develop safe, effective, humane, and evidence-based ways of controlling bovine TB, including by investing to produce workable vaccines.
• Minimise the use of animals in scientific experimentation, including by funding research into alternatives.
• Work within the EU to ensure that future trade agreements require high environmental and animal welfare standards, and legislate to ban the importing of hunting trophies where the hunting does not contribute to environmental protection.