More than 20 MPs gathered at a special reception hosted by PETA on animal experimentation at the Palace of Westminster.
PETA animal experimentation: the lobbying increases
The MPs were there to show support for – and pressure the current government to develop – a plan to phase out animal experimentation.
Titled “A Roadmap for Non-Animal Science in the UK”, the reception showcased PETA’s Research Modernisation Deal, a report created by PETA scientists that provides policymakers with a detailed strategy for ending experiments on animals and accelerating the uptake and further development of non-animal methods.
The event was sponsored by Bob Blackman CBE MP and attended by other MPs, including John McDonnell MP and Adrian Ramsay MP, plus Green Party Peer Jenny Jones:
Battlestar Galactica and Law & Order: UK star and long-time PETA friend Jamie Bamber was also there. He spoke to attendees about the importance of transitioning to cruelty-free and human-relevant research methods.
“The United Kingdom has long prided itself on being a nation that cares about animals. But if we are genuinely to live up to this ideal, we must commit to ending the suffering of animals in laboratories. Public support for this cause is overwhelming, yet previous policies have lagged behind the will of the people. Now is the time for renewed and decisive action,” says Bamber.
The cruelty must stop
“Every year, millions of mice, rats, fish, dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and other animals are caged, subjected to physical and psychological torment, and killed in unreliable experiments that do little to advance human health,” says PETA Science Policy Advisor Dr Kimberley Jayne.
“PETA is calling on the government to commit to ending all experiments on animals: stop wasting money and lives on archaic animal experimentation and switch to modern research methods that actually help people.”
In 2023, more than 2.68 million animals were bled, poisoned, deprived of food, isolated, mutilated, or otherwise subjected to psychological suffering and physical pain in British laboratories.
Millions more were bred and discarded as “surplus” because, for example, they were not of the desired sex or lacked certain disease characteristics.
The new government has committed to working towards phasing out animal testing, and PETA urges everyone to hold it to this promise by demanding a government-led roadmap for ending all experiments on animals.
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