LONDON – MPs, councillors and members of the public joined Humane World for Animals UK and a six foot cut out of Larry the Downing Street cat at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to call on ministers to ban the import and sale of animal fur in the UK.
Campaigners say the change would close a loophole in UK law that allows fur products to be imported and sold despite fur farming having been banned in Britain since 2000.
At the conference – held from 27-30 September 2026 - MPs showed their support for the Fur Free Britain campaign beside a six-foot cut-out of Larry the Downing Street cat.
Larry’s high-profile X account, which has nearly one million followers, has backed the campaign, posting: ‘Please leave the fur wearing to the professionals’ and ‘Fur is for animals – let’s keep it that way’.
Why is fur still being sold in the UK?
Under current laws, fur farming is banned in the UK, as well as the import and sale of cat, dog and seal fur along with fur from endangered species. However, fur from other animals including foxes, mink and raccoon dogs can still be imported and sold in British shops.
Claire Bass, director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane World for Animals UK, said: “Every year, millions of animals are tormented for their whole lives in tiny barren wire cages just to be killed for fur products that no one needs. A Labour government made the UK the first country to ban fur farming, but more than two decades later it is still legal to import and sell fur from foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and other animals from overseas. That double standard leaves the UK complicit in an industry built on animal suffering. More than 200 MPs are backing a Fur Free Britain and urging the government to finish the job by ending the UK fur trade. Labour has previously committed to a Fur Free Britain and now it has the chance to deliver. As Larry says, fur is for animals - let’s keep it that way.”
Labour government position on fur import and sales
Speaking at a 2023 debate on fur imports and sales, shadow Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) minister Alex Sobel said: “A Labour Britain would be a compassionate, fur free Britain.”
Calls for a ban on fur imports and sales have grown following publication of the government's Animal Welfare Committee report on the responsible sourcing of fur in March 2026, which found “there are no species being farmed for fur whose welfare needs are being adequately met by current standards and safeguards”. It also concluded ‘… it is unlikely to ever be possible to farm species such as fox and raccoon dog without having a detrimental effect on their health and welfare, or in a way which meets their welfare needs’.
What is Fur Free Britain and how to support a ban on fur imports to the UK
Fur Free Britain is a UK campaign led by Humane World for Animals UK calling for a ban on the import and sale of animal fur. It is supported by a coalition of animal protection organisations, cross party MPs and members of the public. The petition to end the UK’s fur trade has over 1.5 million signatures, and polls show that 77% of British people back a ban.
Key facts
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Fur farming has been banned in the UK since 2003
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Fur from animals including foxes, mink, raccoon dogs, coyotes and rabbits can still legally be imported and sold in Britain
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More than 200 MPs support Fur Free Britain
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The Fur Free Britain petition has amassed more than 1.5 million signatures
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Polling shows 77% of British people support a ban on fur imports and sales.
Visit the Fur Free Britain website and sign the petition to show your support for a ban on fur imports into the UK.
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