According to the Labour Party website the Labour Party have achieved the following in their time in power:

Why Labour?

Labour has a proud record on animal welfare. Over the past ten years, we have introduced laws which banned cruel and unethical practices such as drift net fishing and fur farming, set minimum standards for animal welfare, banned the testing of cosmetics, alcohol and tobacco on animals, set tougher sentences for crimes of cruelty against animals and gave the Commons a vote on fox hunting, which resulted in the practice being banned.

With the passing of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, Labour put into law the most comprehensive piece of animal welfare legislation for nearly a century. The act introduced a new duty of care on people to ensure the needs of any animal for which they are responsible; while creating a new offence of failing to provide for the needs of an animal in your care. The new laws place more emphasis on owners and keepers who now need to understand their responsibilities and take all reasonable steps to provide for the needs of their animals.

While we have achieved a lot, we also recognise that it is vital that we look to ensure that the measures we have put in place are rigorously enforced, and that we continue to protect the rights of animals. We will continue seeking to win domestic and international support for further measures which protect the wellbeing of animals in Britain and around the world. We must tackle cruelty head on, working to ensure that illegal practices are stamped out.

Labour’s achievements

* Banned fox hunting, hare coursing, hare hunting and stag hunting
* Banned fur farming and worked in Europe to ban imports of cat and dog fur into the EU.
* Banned driftnet fishing which helps protect dolphins, turtles, sea birds and other animals.
* Banned testing cosmetics, toiletries, alcohol and tobacco on animals.
* Since 1997 we have refused to license any testing on great apes (such as chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas).
* Established the National Centre for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animals in Research which provides research into alternatives to animal testing.
* Secured better welfare standards at a European level for battery hens and meat chickens
* Tightened up rules on the transport of live animals across Europe.
* Secured an EU-wide ban on the trade in seal fur.
* Increased prison sentences for wildlife crime.
* Halted the decline in farmland birds, while increasing rare and woodland bird populations.
* Introduced a new duty of care on those who keep animals to ensure the needs of any animal for which they are responsible are met; while creating a new criminal offence of failing to provide for the needs of an animal.
* Introduced pet passports allowing you to take your pet abroad in the EU without the need for quarantine.

The Tory Threat
The Conservatives are committed to giving the Commons a free vote to repeal the ban on hunting with dogs – David Cameron has made clear that he personally opposes the ban and wants to see it scrapped.

Labour Party Animal Welfare Policy :http://www.labour.org.uk/animal_welfare_policy

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on Labour’s animal welfare policies in the comments below?