A controversy erupted within the cabinet over plans to repeal the ban on the import and sale of furs and foie gras after Number 10 was persuaded to scrap the trade ban policies.
Lord Goldsmith, the environment minister and key proponent of the ban, spoke out after his colleagues, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, persuaded the prime minister to drop the proposal.
Responding to cabinet insiders who disagreed with the ban, Goldsmith said: “The public is very supportive of measures to limit the trade in fur and foie gras.
“There are some who see this as a matter of personal choice, but no one has extended that principle to things like dog fighting or catching bears, so it is not clear why feathering or forcing geese to eat. , which are believed to be associated with a much greater degree of cruelty, should anything be different. “
Ministers supporting the bill still have hope that it is not entirely out of the way yet, although sources say “that is the way to go”. The ban is said to be part of a series of measures aimed at making post-Brexit Britain a world leader in animal welfare.
Sources in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) say the ban has been removed from the overseas animals bill in an attempt to get rid of the policy entirely. The production of foie gras and foie gras products is banned in the UK.
The Guardian understands that Rees-Mogg intervened because he did not believe that banning everything was of a Conservative nature.
This is yet another sign that the struggle for Boris Johnson’s ear is being carried out by the more liberal and eco-minded side of the Tory party. Some right-holders believe that such bans go against the principles of free trade and that the purchase of such goods should be a matter of choice. Others believe the ban could win over loyal voters and show the Conservatives are modern and caring.
However, there are even divisions on the issue within the European Study Group, often seen as the center of the party’s liberal right wing. A leading member said: “I do not represent Boris on this matter. Personally, I stopped eating foie gras when I learned how it is made.”
Yesterday, several Conservative MPs said they would ask for an explanation from the prime minister, who has previously vowed to use Brexit as an opportunity to protect animal rights.
The ban has been featured in the government’s action plan for animal welfare and is intended to win voters’ support. The 2019 manifesto, which refers to the action plan, also pledges not to compromise animal welfare standards in international trade.
A spokesman for Defra said the government remained “fully committed to animal welfare”.
The shock decision to lift a bill banning animals abroad is likely to upset the prime minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, who has staunchly supported such measures.
In the past, she said: “Anyone who wants to buy real fur gets sick. Fur belongs only to animals. Nuts to think some British department stores still sell furs. “
The decision is said to have been made while Carrie Johnson was away from home for the weekend, as she was seen back at No 10 with her children and some suitcases on Monday morning.
