Labour below strain to ship on promise to ban foie gras imports | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Labour is below strain to fulfil its promise to ban foie gras imports after a ballot revealed overwhelming public help for the intervention.

Some 76% of contributors stated the Government should ship on its vow to bar the controversial pâté, constructed from the livers of force-fed geese and geese, from getting into the UK. Just 11% stated ministers mustn’t and 13% didn’t know.

It is already unlawful to supply foie gras in Britain on animal welfare grounds.

The survey additionally discovered 43% don’t belief the Government on the difficulty of defending animals. Only 26% stated they do, whereas a 3rd had been uncertain.

Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to go forward with the ban.

He stated: “The force-feeding of geese and ducks to produce foie gras is a gross and inhumane practice, rightly banned in the UK.

“It makes a nonsense of regulation, nonetheless, to ban a follow within the UK after which to permit merchandise produced below circumstances not permitted right here to be imported.

“Polls consistently show that a compelling majority of the public back a ban. The Government should listen to public opinion and enforce one in the immediate future.”

Former animal welfare minister and Tory peer Lord Goldsmith added: “Labour applied very helpful pressure when I was a Conservative government Minister, often strengthening my hand in my own dealings with the government.

“But for their very own credibility and for numerous animals struggling unimaginable abuse they should comply with by way of on their guarantees.

“Fois gras is monstrously cruel, which is why we are not legally allowed to produce it in the UK. There has been consistent support for a ban on imports and no reason why that can’t easily be implemented.”

Environment Secretary Steve Reed declared ahead of last July’s general election that Labour would “ban the industrial import of foie gras” because “geese and geese are aggressively force-fed”.

Campaigners against cruelty to animals have long called for the French delicacy to be outlawed here.

A proposed law by the Tories was dropped in 2023 amid opposition from some MPs on the right of the party due to concerns about personal choice.

Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality, which commissioned the YouGov polling, said: “Steve Reed made a transparent electoral promise but the ban stays in limbo, with no actual progress in sight.

“We’ve already seen the previous government backtrack on a ban and we refuse to let history repeat itself – animals need the Labour Party to stand by its pledge.

“Failing to ship this swiftly could be a significant personal objective, undermining the belief of his celebration’s personal supporters and Mr Reed’s native constituents.”

The ballot of two,079 individuals was carried out from March 2-3.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs declined to remark.