Downing Street 'will agree' to ban circus animals
Downing Street has signalled it will bow to pressure over MPs’ demands for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
Downing Street has signalled it will bow to pressure over MPs’ demands for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
But there are still “unavoidable legal difficulties” that must be overcome before the practice can be outlawed, officials have insisted.
Ministers have steadfastly opposed the move fearing the Government will be left open to lawsuits from circus owners and workers. MPs agreed, however, to direct the coalition to introduce a ban from July next year after a debate in the Commons.
Although the decision is not binding, it is highly embarrassing for the Government and has heaped pressure on ministers to act. A Downing Street source said: “The Government will recognise the will of the House.”
Tory Mark Pritchard, who led the backbench call for a ban, claimed he had been threatened by the Prime Minister’s office unless he backed down.
In an open show of defiance, Wrekin MP Mr Pritchard told MPs he was first offered “incentive and reward” if he complied with the wishes of the party hierarchy but as he stood firm pressure was “ratcheted up” on him.
He said: “I had a call from the Prime Minister’s office directly and I was told that, unless I withdraw this motion, the Prime Minister himself said he would look upon it very dimly indeed.”
Mr Pritchard said: “I will not be bullied by any other whips. This is an issue I have campaigned on for many years.”
There are currently three travelling circuses in the UK, with a total of 39 wild animals, including zebras, lions, tigers and camels. Agriculture minister Jim Paice said Government lawyers advised that it was “highly likely” ministers would be challenged on the basis that an outright ban was “disproportionate in terms of improving welfare in circuses”.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokeswoman said: “The Government will listen to the view of the House and is sympathetic to the motion for a ban. We will continue to look carefully at how this could be introduced, but there are unavoidable legal difficulties that we cannot ignore.”
Comments for: "Downing Street 'will agree' to ban circus animals"
PNG
With the country in one of its most perilous financial states in the last century, major hostilities ongoing in several foreign states and spending cuts threatening our very way of life.. Wrekin MP Blippo the Clown MP (formerly known as Mark Pritchard) demonstrates his understanding of the concerns of the Wrekin electorate by taking his ineffectual ringmaster Dave to task over,,, wait for it (drum roll) "The ill-treatment of Circus Animals!".
While I'd never condone ill treatment of any animals the only detailed research that appears to have been carried out into this issue appears to have been by DEFRA who found no major issues. However armed with irrefutable evidence from the red-top popular press Pritchard has championed this essential cause and deemed it worthy of parliament's time.
Unfortunately it appears the Government's ill-treatment of his 70,000 constituents was not anywhere near as important as 39 animals (which I would guess is really probably Labour's fault?)
Watch out for those over-sized shoes Mark!
Benbow Tom
Not everything that is discussed in Parliament will have major national ramifications. I think it is positive that a local Shropshire MP has the integrity to stand up for the rights of animals who have no voice and not be swayed or bribed by the Whips. This is an outdated practice and I hope it will encourage other EU countries to follow suit. If something is inherently wrong we must address it amongst the other important pieces of legislation. Well done Mr Pritchard!
Martin
I normally don't agree with anything that Mark Pritchard says, however on this occasion I take my hat off to him for raising this issue and resisting the pressure from his own parties whips to get this ban through with cross party support.
The campaign has been supported by the Independent newspaper (not a Red top!!) and lobbying Group 38 Degrees.
Wild animals such as tigers, lions and elephants should not be subject to "performing" in front of an audience, they should be left to roam free in their natural habitat.
So well done Mark, any chance now of opposing the NHS changes for which the government have no mandate.
tc
My concern is that the animals in circuses currently are not in a position to be returned to the wild, what happens to them, the circuses will not want to pay for feeding and vets bills if these animals are not earning their keep so what then?
Ima Gonk
Maybe the Government could allow these animals to see out their days in the circus and have a ban on any future animal purchases by the aforemaentioned circuses( After all their are only three travelling circuses in the country according to the article!)
Siegfried Hile
Why don't they go the whole hog and ban zoos as well! I think the only problem with that would be that parliament would have to ban themselves, as they are the biggest zoo in the U.K!
dotdonworth
im sure p.n.g would enjoy performing in a circus ring for us all to mock, and jeer. maybe stand on one leg for a couple of hours, jump through a flaming hoop, be ridden round and round with some fool on his back. then after being humiliated, he could then be locked back into a cage. he may have to travel in his cage all the next day to some where else miles away. if he didnt perform well being hit with a metal bar. sounds good to me. are you volunteering png? you sad excuse for a human animal
EnglishFolkfan
An excellent outcome for a massive campaign by many animal welfare organisations that has been underway long before this current fiscal crisis. If PNG did a small amount of online searching this would be obvious, along with the stack of well cited research into circus animal conditions & terms of inspection.
Whatever the background of this Shropshire MP the fact he was bribed then threatened by his Party stringpullers and this was made public in the chamber of the HoC is another good outcome from an action packed afternoon in the House that I watched on TV. The palpable shock expressed & shown by other MP's, and the sight of Tory MP's berating members of their own Party, plus Paice as Minister having to speak for something he clearly didn't believe in was interesting viewing.
John Ball
Mark Pritchard MP, has spoken to Conservative Voices, and describes the success of his debate yesterday as a victory for Parliament.
http://www.conservativevoices.co.uk
Just because a subject is not of the greatest national importance does not mean that it does not deserve a proportionate amount of consideration. A 15 minute debate is hardly a waste of Parliament's time and has prevented no major pieces of legislation being considered.
John
its taken him 4 years of banging on, its not just 15 mins. his other recent topics include, the aid budget, middle east, africa, yemen, mongolia, galileo system, then look at his declaration of interest where he works as a consultant, maybe he'll find the time to address issues in his own constituency
Siegfried Hile
Can somebody translate this into English please!
Paul Thomas
Well done Mr Pritchard, its about time wild animals were banned from circuses.
Annie Millington
I total agree with Mark, wild animals should not be in a circus, they should not be in a zoo. But if we do have to have such attractions then Safari Parks would be a better solution. However, if this law comes in to play and I sincerely hope that it does, then the Govt need to work with the Circus owners to help find the right home for these animals, because what will happen to them? I like millions, would sure not want to see them put down.
tc
exactly, I fear that the circus owners of the current animals will not wish to have the expense of caring for these animals if they can not be used to raise revenue, some of which does pay for the care of the animals, vets bills, food, etc. what then? these animals can't be returned to the wild, so what, will they be set free to roam the streets and be euthanased or cause issues at the public expense? Just what is the plan for them?
Julia
i expect they will go to safari parks, where at least they will be free to roam around, lie down when they want to, have the company of others of their kind and not be forced to perform for fear of a beating. safari parks make plenty of money from visitors, i'm sure. no one is going to expect the circuses to continue to pay for their keep!
as others have said before me, just because our economy is in a mess doesn't mean we should put issues of animal welfare - which are important to an awful lot of people - on the backburner. animals have suffered long enough.
i say well done mark pritchard for sticking to your guns in the face of such pressure.
Shakewell
Whilst I applaud any legislation that prevents cruelty to animals I can see why the government is worried. Any law banning circus animals could be interpreted as banning the training of any animals used for the purpose of entertaining an audience. Therefore circus owners will argue that any law should also apply to Crufts, police dog shows, horse racing maybe even zoos and safari parks themselves.
Andy
To Ima Gonk, Three circuses with performing animals are three circuses too much. There has been plenty of coverage over the years showing how badly animals are treated. Most recently, an elephant that was beaten with a weapon when it was chained to the spot. We only found that out due to secret filming. I for one will not even consider a circus for my children to see, if animals are involved.