At the last General Election, Tory MPs pledged to deliver the policies set out in the Bill. Sadly, despite the massive Tory majority in Parliament, the Government has dumped its pledge on this issue, as it has on so many others.

The Tories promised:

– not to cut international aid (they cut it)

– to protect free TV licenses for pensioners (they’re gone for most older people)

– not to cut the armed forces (numbers are falling)

Now, after two years of dither and delay, the Government scrapped the animal welfare plans too.

With it have gone the protections that the legislation would have provided against puppy smuggling, puppy farming, pet theft and live animal exports. This is the latest Tory let-down but, in the absence of leadership from the Government, Labour’s binding motion today will revive the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill and I will be backing it today.