A raft of celebrities including Frank Bruno, Cliff Richard, Joanna Lumley, Gary Numan and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton are putting pressure on the PM to give a timetable for when the ban on “sick” trophy imports will be brought in
Keir Starmer faces fury from celebrities and campaigners for shelving plans to ban cruel hunting trophy imports after lobbying from the Trump administration.
Campaigners say they’ve been told the ban, promised in Labour’s 2024 manifesto, will not be in the King’s Speech when Parliament returns next week. It comes after this newspaper revealed Trump’s henchmen pressured ministers to drop the ban. And last month it emerged the Labour government had granted British trophy hunters 28 import permits since coming to power. There were 16 permits for African elephants, four for hippopotamuses, three for American black bears, three for brown bears and one each for Nile crocodiles, giraffes and lions. Now icons from the worlds of showbiz and sport have signed a letter to the PM, demanding a “clear timetable” for the ban being enforced during the new session of Parliament.
Boxing legend Frank Bruno, singers Gary Numan, and David Essex, TV’s Nicky Campbell and Lorraine Kelly, actors Joanna Lumley, David Harewood, Felicity Kendal, Patsy Kensit, Miriam Margolyes and Heather Mills, as well as Cliff Richard, England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, Delia Smith, and Chris Tarrant all signed the letter. It was also backed by the Rt Rev. John Arnold, the Bishop of Salford who is environmental spokesperson for the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
Dame Joanna Lumley told the Mirror: “It is heartbreaking and frankly shameful that in this day and age, magnificent creatures are still being gunned down so their heads, skins or tusks can be displayed as trophies. These animals belong in the wild, not in someone’s sitting room. Britain must end its involvement in this cruel and outdated practice once and for all.”
Broadcaster Chris Packham told the Mirror: “Trophy hunting is absolutely abhorrent. And we had an opportunity to end imports coming into the UK, but unfortunately it was scuppered. Now we’ve got a new government and a new opportunity. They came in with a mandate for change. Let’s make them enact that change.”
And legendary actor Peter Egan added: “I really don’t understand why it’s taking so long to get this ban done. It is psychopathic cruelty on a daily basis. It gives pleasure to narcissists. It’s disgusting. Get the ban done now.”
This newspaper has long campaigned for a ban on trophy hunting imports. And despite delays, Defra minister Mary Creagh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a ban late last year. But a series of trophy hunting Bills failed to pass into law due to lack of Parliamentary time, one having been derailed by a handful of pro-hunting peers in the House of Lords.
A Defra spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record of delivering for animal welfare and we remain firmly committed to introducing a ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.”
Eduardo Goncalves, the founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting said: “The Trump Administration has been furiously lobbying Ministers. Trump’s election campaign received huge donations from the hunting industry. These same groups are pouring millions into disinformation campaigns targeting MPs and Ministers here.”
In February, US Interior Secretary Doug Bergum wrote to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, urging her to think again on the ban, claiming it will hurt local economies, conservation efforts and cultural sensitivities in the US. This week Trump’s administration quietly began pushing national park, refuge and wilderness area managers to dramatically scale back hunting restrictions, raising questions about visitor safety and the impact on wildlife. Secretary Burgum issued an order in January directing multiple agencies to remove what he termed “unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers” to hunting and fishing and justify regulations they want to keep in place. While Trump is not a hunter himself, his sons Eric and Donald Jr are, and have been pictured posing with a dead elephant, a crocodile, a kudu, a leopard and a waterbuck.
“We mustn’t let the American gun lobby dictate to us. Britain is a country of animal-lovers, not a nation of gun nuts. It’s time to stand up and do the right thing,” Mr Goncalves added. “This bill has already passed in the Commons. It was blocked by a tiny group of unelected Lords who hunt and kill animals for fun. Democracy itself is at stake. We can’t let a tiny minority thwart the will of the people. At the General Election, Labour said ‘a vote for Labour is a vote for animals’. Right now, though, Labour ministers are quietly handing out permits to British hunters so they can bring home ‘trophies’ of endangered animals including giraffes and elephants.
“Labour is doing a lot of soul-searching after the disastrous local election results. If it wants to do something popular and progressive, how about implementing its manifesto promise to ban hunting trophies? This is the one issue that Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey, Zack Polanski and the British electorate all agree on. The bill has been drafted and is sat on the minister’s desk. What on earth is the government waiting for?”
Here’s the letter in full
Dear Sir Keir Starmer,
In these divided times, there are few issues on which political parties and civil society are united. Trophy hunting is one of them. The killing of animals for “sport,” followed by the display of their remains as symbols of personal prowess, has no place in a modern, civilised society.
Labour made a clear and unequivocal manifesto commitment at the 2024 General Election: “We will ban the import of hunting trophies.” This pledge was welcomed and widely supported. It is therefore disappointing to learn that this commitment will be absent from the King’s Speech and that there are no immediate plans for legislation.
Moreover, we now learn that permits have been issued by your government to trophy hunters who have recently shot endangered animals such as elephants, giraffes, lions, hippopotamuses, bears and crocodiles. The permits enable them to bring their ‘trophies’ back into Britain. Without them, it is unlikely those animals would have been killed.
We respectfully urge you to reconsider and to establish a clear timeline for delivering this legislation within the current session. Here are 10 compelling reasons for so doing:
1. A Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill has already been drafted by civil servants.
2. The Bill previously passed all stages in the House of Commons in 2023.
3. The DEFRA consultation (2019–2021) found 86% of 44,470 respondents supported a full ban.
4. Public support mirrors the consultation result and is overwhelming: 8 out of 10 voters back an immediate ban.
5. Broad cross-party backing spans Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, DUP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP, Alliance, Ulster Unionists, as well as Reform UK and independent parliamentarians.
6. Globally, momentum is moving decisively away from trophy hunting. Countries including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Australia, and the United States have introduced restrictions on trophy imports.
7. The British public was first promised a ban in 2019. Since then, the commitment has appeared repeatedly in Queen’s Speeches and Party Manifestos. The expectation that this policy would now be delivered is both reasonable and justified.
8. Ahead of the 2024 General Election, you spoke of restoring trust in politics. Delivering on this promise would be a clear and meaningful example of that commitment in action.
9. This issue speaks to values widely regarded as central to British identity: respect for nature, a sense of fairness, and a deep care for animals.
10. Finally, as we celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, let us recall his words on trophy hunting: “It’s what people did in the 19th century. One would have thought people would have got over that. It brings a real sadness that some people think it’s clever, or victorious or strong to take the life of something else.”
Each day of delay allows the continued issuance of permits enabling the killing of endangered animals. We urge you to act decisively and swiftly .
Yours sincerely,
· Bishop John Arnold (Environment spokesperson, Catholic Church of England & Wales; Bishop of Salford)
· Frank Bruno
· Nicky Campbell
· Peter Egan
· David Essex
· David Harewood
· Stanley Johnson
· Lorraine Kelly
· Felicity Kendal
· Nigel Kennedy
· Patsy Kensit
· Jan Leeming
· Joanna Lumley
· Natasha Mago
· Miriam Margolyes
· Vicki Michelle
· Heather Mills
· Lesley Nichol
· Gary Numan
· Cliff Richard
· Carol Royle
· Jenny Seagrove
· Peter Shilton
· Steph Shilton
· Delia Smith
· Michaela Strachan
· Chris Tarrant
· Wendy Turner-Webster
· Gary Webster
By
Source link
