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Animal lovers are fighting back after the Tories ditched plans for new laws that would clamp down on puppy smuggling and ban live animal exports.<\/p>\n
The Kept Animals Bill was promised in Boris Johnson\u2019s 2019 manifesto \u2013 and Rishi Sunak re-committed to it during his leadership campaign last year.<\/p>\n
But now it has been dropped, leading MP Andrea Jenkyns to launch a petition calling on the PM to reverse the decision.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cAs a Conservative I am proud of the party\u2019s history on animal welfare.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the abandonment of the Kept Animals Bill is a stain on this record. Voters will not stand by while key manifesto commitments to end live exports and address puppy smuggling are left by the wayside.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope this petition will demonstrate the unequivocal support the Bill has from the public and MPs, and urge the Government to reconsider this decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The MP for Morley and Outwood\u2019s online campaign and petition has racked up more than 6,000 signatures since its launch on Monday.<\/p>\n
It is backed by the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, which counts Carrie Johnson among its patrons.<\/p>\n
The organisation\u2019s co-founder Lorraine Platt said: \u201cLike many, we were disappointed by the Government\u2019s decision to discontinue the Kept Animals Bill and urge for the manifesto commitments to be delivered.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlmost 14 million people elected this Government on a platform which promised to deliver for animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore recently, the continuation of this Bill was promised by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2022 during his leadership campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge all of our supporters and MPs to sign this important petition and demonstrate the strong support that exists across the country for the measures included in the Bill.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Jenkyns also has the support of Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan, TV vet Marc Abraham and Countdown star Rachel Riley.<\/p>\n
Her petition will be considered for debate in Parliament if it reaches 100,000 signatures. The Bill had got past its second reading in the Commons before it was abandoned.<\/p>\n
The Government has insisted manifesto pledges will be kept through single-issue legislation in this Parliamentary session.<\/p>\n
Environment Minister Mark Spencer said the Bill \u201crisked being extended far beyond the original commitments\u201d when he announced it was being ditched.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, said: \u201cThe UK is a world leader on \u00adanimal welfare and we are fully committed to maintaining and enhancing our strong track record to date.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are committed to delivering our manifesto commitments and other welfare measures individually during the remainder of this Parliament and look forward to progressing these.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will set out next steps in due course.\u201d<\/p>\n