New animal rights party launching
There’s a new party called Animals Count about to launch into the UK political arena. It’s linked to a Dutch party which won two seats in the last elections in Holland and it’s policies appear to be about protecting animals but without the violence used by some anti-cruelty groups.
Personally I think Animals Count are a bunch of loonies and I doubt they’ll get very far in UK politics. Having an existing party with a policy on preventing cruelty to animals is all well and good, but starting a political party which states its mission as “To establish a voice for the animals through a dedicated political party” is taking things a bit far. I can’t see how any group of people who want to give cows voting rights in Parliament can be taken seriously by the general public. They may have won a couple of seats in Holland, but that’s probably one of the most liberal countries in the world and I don’t think that they’ll repeat that success over here, especially when minority parties such as the Greens can’t even manage to win a seat in Westminster.
The Party for the Animals in the Netherlands has 6,000 members in a country of 15 million, which compares well to the Green Party’s 7,500 members in the UK, a country of over 50 million, and clearly demonstrates that the public can see the clear links between human and animal issues. Half the EC budget is wasted on subsidising cruel, land inefficient, and ultimately unhealthy animal farming, creating oversupply and price collapse that hurts farmers too. These resources could be more usefully applied to help people in pensions, education and health care. Under our outdated electoral system the Greens may not be able to win Westminster seats, but they have MEP’s, councillors and London Assembly members, and have been very influential in creating awareness and policy change. Animals Count aims to do the same by creating dialogue, understanding and policy change on food policy, agriculture and animal welfare and rights.
Alex Bourke
Outreach Coordinator, Animals Count
http://www.animalscount.org
The founding of “Animals Count” sounds like an idea whose time has come. Many people are disaffected by the main political parties but equally, many people are interested in single issues. Having a political vehicle for animals could well encorage more people to use their vote, as well as providing a voice for the animals.
I am not sure about the concept of a political party for animal, however, I do believe that the time has come for more single issue politicans. We have all seen what happens when government’s gain large majorities, our views are excluded and the party pushes through issues, no matter how unpopular. If an ‘Animals Count’ party offers a way in which we can all demonstrate that there are other things that concern us apart from party politics, then perhaps it is a good thing.