LONDON―Campaigners gathered today at No. 10 Downing Street to deliver a petition of more than 1.5 million signatures to the Prime Minister, calling for the UK to ban the import and sale of cruel fur. The #FurFreeBritain petitioners―comprising animal protection organisations Humane World for Animals UK (formerly called Humane Society International/UK), RSPCA, PETA (UK), FOUR PAWS UK and Open Cages were also joined by Ruth Jones MP whose legislative bill for a ban will have its Second Reading in Parliament on 13 June. TV presenter and podcaster Pete Wicks sent a message of support calling fur “one of the worst cruelties humans inflict on animals in the name of vanity” while singer songwriter Will Young urged the UK Government to “do the right thing and back the bill for a Fur Free Britain”.
Fur farming was outlawed in the UK more than two decades ago on animal cruelty grounds. However, Britain continues to import millions of pounds worth of fur from overseas where animals endure a terrible existence in small, barren cages before being electrocuted or gassed to death for fashion. HMRC records UK imports of around £30-£40 million of fur each year from countries including Finland, Poland, Greece and China. Humane World for Animals estimates this equates to around one million animals being killed to be imported into the UK annually. The #FurFreeBritain campaign calls for an end to that striking double standard—if fur is too cruel to produce in the UK, it's too cruel to sell in the UK.
The legislative bill introduced by Ruth Jones, Labour MP for Newport West and Islwyn proposes to extend existing bans on trade in fur from cats, dogs and seals to also prevent the import and sale of new fur from foxes, raccoon dogs, mink, chinchilla, coyotes and other animals. Recent polling shows that 77% of the British public support a ban on the import of fur.
Ruth Jones MP said: “If passed into law, my bill would end the UK’s complicity in the cruelty of the global fur trade. I am delighted today to join #FurFreeBritain campaigners to deliver more than 1.5 million petition signatures to show the Prime Minister how much support there is for this legislation. I am proud to represent the views of so many British citizens, politicians, celebrities, designers and retailers who all agree that it’s time to shut up shop on the cruel and unnecessary fur trade.”
A #FurFreeBritain spokesperson said: “Banning fur farming here but then continuing to import fur from overseas is a double standard that millions of British people, and more than 200 cross-party politicians, want to see ended. The fur trade is cruel to animals, dangerous to public health, and totally unnecessary. The Labour Government promised a huge boost to animal welfare and backing Ruth Jones’ #FurFreeBritain bill would be an obvious and fantastic way to start delivering on that.”
Will Young said: “I am proud to support the Fur Free Britain campaigners who have delivered more than 1.5 million petition signatures calling on this Labour Government to end fur cruelty. With Ruth Jones’ bill there is a real opportunity to make a massive difference to millions of animals enduring mental and physical anguish for fur fashion. The British public don’t support the fur trade, most designers and retailers don’t support the fur trade and the animals most certainly don’t support the fur trade. So, I urge the government to do the right thing and back the bill for a Fur Free Britain.”
TV’s Pete Wicks has supported the #FurFreeBritain campaign since 2017 when he posed as a bloodied fur trap victim for thought-provoking images by renowned photographer Trevor Leighton. In 2019 he travelled to Finland with campaigners to expose the suffering endured by foxes, mink and raccoon dogs on fur farms. Wicks said, "I've been to fur farms and seen for myself the appalling suffering these poor animals go through for the sake of a fur bobble hat or parka jacket. When you look these animals in the eye, it’s so obvious that the fur industry is one of the worst cruelties humans inflict on animals in the name of vanity and fashion. We need to get this ban done and stop trading in fur suffering.”
Petition signatures were collected by Humane World for Animals UK, RSPCA, PETA (UK), FOUR PAWS UK, Open Cages, with support from Animal Aid, Care2 and Change.org.
Fur Facts:
- Tens of millions of animals, including mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, chinchillas and coyotes, suffer and die each year in the global fur trade.
- The UK was the first country in the world to ban fur farming and since then an additional 21 European nations have banned the cruel practice, the most recent being Romania and Lithuania.
- Israel became the first country to ban fur sales in 2021. In the United States, one state (California) and 16 town and cities have banned fur sales (as of April 2024). Political discussion on a fur import ban is underway in Switzerland.
- Fur farming is a zoonotic disease risk. Mink on almost 500 fur farms across 13 countries in Europe and North America have been found to be infected with COVID-19, with millions of animals killed on public health grounds. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) has also been found on 72 fur farms in Europe to date. Around 500,000 mink, arctic fox, red fox, raccoon dogs and sable were killed on public health grounds.
- Research shows that the carbon footprint of 1kg of mink fur (309.91 kg CO2-eq) is 31 times higher than cotton, 26 times higher than acrylic, and 25 times higher than polyester. Raccoon dog fur and fox fur also have high carbon footprints, approximately 23 times worse for the climate than cotton, and 18 times worse for the climate than polyester.
- Most leading designers have fur-free policies including Max Mara, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Valentino, Prada, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry and Chanel.
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