Lies Damned Lies - the truth is in the stats!

If ever we needed convincing that the Labour Party’s 1997 pre election promises on animal experimentation was a pack of lies, we need look no further than the recently released statistics on the number of animals used in experiments in the UK. These figures fly in the face of everything the Government promised, showing a steep rise in the number of animals used and killed in experiments since 1997. Despite the statistical evidence to the contrary, Labour has continued throughout its term of office to try to whitewash the truth and convince the public that its Government is committed to phasing out animal research.

This shambolic show of avowed commitment would be risible, were its implications not so deadly. Their investment of somewhere in the region of £2 million into alternative research methods, considered my many in the industry to be the way forward for research, is an insult. Add to this the increase in the number of animals used in research, and the message is clear: as far as Labour and the animal rights argument are concerned, there is little room for manoeuvre. Power and money are their guiding principles, and that means animals are rock bottom on their political agenda.

Yet in 1997, animals were high profile of the Labour Party, because they were seen as a vote winner. Labour laid out their proposals in their pre manifesto booklet “New Labour, New Life For Animals”; it got them the backing of thousands of animal rights supporters, and that year’s election finally saw the Party in power after years in the political wilderness.

To the growing dismay of those who voted for this Government, the years have seen none of their promises bear fruit, and far from implementing a Royal Commission to look into the effectiveness of vivisection as they promised in 1997 or decreasing the number of animals used, Labour has been actively encouraging the use of more animals in vivisection in a desperate attempt to ensure that the UK plays a leading global role in animal based research.

The figures released a few days ago show that Britain carried out 2.85 million experiments on animals last year, up 2.3 percent on 2003 and now at their highest level for 12 years. These figures will almost certainly go up in the coming years as the Government continues to be influenced by the various pharmaceutical corporations and the promise of monetary gain.

What those of us who have been in the movement for some time have learnt is that a politician is generally only as good as his or her word on the day; promises are made, and promises are broken for political expediency and gain. Gone are the days when any of us should be fooled by new people in politics with new ideas and a smile with a full set of white-capped teeth.

There is only one thing that stands between the animals in the laboratories and those who exploit them - the only people with a serious commitment to change in this country are those in the animal rights movement, and the onus is firmly upon us to make sure that we keep up the pressure to force change. We must all commit to do that, and to do it from today.

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