Call for more humane treatment of animals.

Birmingham Hall Green MP Roger Godsiff has pledged his support to the campaign for mandatory CCTV inside UK slaughterhouses. The campaign – which is now supported by 159 MPs – was launched after a three-year investigation by Animal Aid revealed widespread breaches of welfare laws.

Slaughterhouse workers were filmed kicking, punching and beating animals; burning them with cigarettes; picking them up by their fleeces and throwing them into stunning pens; and dragging them by their ears. Animal Aid also recorded animals being improperly stunned and coming round again, and suffering painful electrocution instead of being stunned.

Roger, who has served Birmingham since 1992, signed a Parliamentary Early Day Motion calling for mandatory CCTV to monitor working practices inside UK slaughterhouses and reiterated his support by agreeing to be photographed with a campaign banner.

He says, “There can be no excuse for cruelty to animals. It is utterly unacceptable for animals to be mistreated in this way, particularly in a country where there is a public consensus around the importance of animal welfare. I therefore support Animal Aid’s campaign to install CCTV in all slaughterhouses, to ensure that this abuse does not continue and those who carry it out are brought to justice.

Unfortunately, this is a by-product of the factory farming system, where animals are treated as commodities to be produced as cheaply as possible rather than as living creatures which should not be made to suffer. We need to re-think the way animals are treated to ensure that this kind of gratuitous cruelty stops now.”

Kate Fowler, Head of Campaigns with Animal Aid, added, “There is no excuse for the savagery we filmed inside some slaughterhouses, and yet it went on right under the noses of vets stationed there to monitor welfare. Clearly, we need a more robust regulatory system, and CCTV can play an important part in deterring and detecting welfare breaches. We are very grateful for the support of Mr Godsiff and his compassionate colleagues.”