Zac Goldsmith says culling badgers is 'ineffective and inhumane'

Mr Goldsmith made the comments during an animal welfare debate
Mr Goldsmith made the comments during an animal welfare debate

Prominent Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith has suggested the government's policy of culling badgers to stop the spread of bovine TB is coming "harder to justify".

Mr Goldsmith made the comments during a debate earlier today (12 December) in Parliament on Animal Welfare policy.

It follows the release of a draft Bill which aims to strengthen animal welfare, and includes recognition of animal sentience in UK law.

Mr Goldsmith, who is a keen environmentalist, said the badger cull is "ineffective and inhumane".

He said: "On agriculture, an issue that merits, and has indeed had, many debates all of its own is the badger cull. The Government have always said that their policy of culling badgers to stop the spread of bovine TB is based on science, but that position is becoming harder to justify.

"The only full Government study into bovine TB transmission between cattle and badgers, which ran from 1998 to 2006, concluded that 'badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain.'

"More recently, the independent expert panel appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to advise on the current pilot cull stated that it was ineffective and inhumane. Nobody doubts the importance of dealing with TB or the devastating impact that it can have on livelihoods."

'Deal with both'

However, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) Chair Neil Parish said he could not disagree with Mr Goldsmith more.

"If there is a pool of the disease bovine TB within badgers, and someone tests their herds of cattle, ensures they are clean and then puts them out in fields where there are badgers carrying bovine TB, the badgers will then re-infect the cattle. We have to deal with both," Mr Parish said.

Mr Goldsmith replied: "I do not believe that there is anything like enough evidence to justify culling tens of thousands of native wild animals, the vast majority of which are disease-free.

"This year is likely to see a trebling in the number of badgers culled, and yet in Wales, where no general culls are taking place, TB has halved."