MPs have been forced to deny that a Commons vote last week means animals are not recognised in the UK as sentient life forms.

An amendment to the European Union (withdrawal bill to transfer the EU protocol on animal sentience into UK law was defeated by 313 votes to 295 on 15 November, and since then a row has developed as to what the vote meant in practice.

Describing some of the reporting on the vote as “weird and dishonest”, Tory MP Zac Goldsmith tweeted a clarification that the vote had been about the correct legal procedure for ensuring animal welfare standards – not on the principle of whether animals are sentient.



Fellow Conservative Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch country, posted a video to try and explain the confusion caused by what she said was “fake news”, stating that: “This government, and in fact all governments, are deeply committed to continuing to protect animals as sentient beings. That law is already written into our own law.”

So disappointing to have to combat fake news. Neither I nor any other Conservative MP voted against animals as sentient beings. This government cares deeply about animal welfare and has done more to protect with more measures on the way. This is mischief making pure and simple pic.twitter.com/0nCkdaddwf — Rachel Maclean MP (@redditchrachel) November 21, 2017

Theresa May said at Wednesday’s PMQs: “We recognise and respect that animals are sentient beings, and should be treated accordingly.”

Tory MP Hugo Swire republished on social media a letter he received from Michael Gove, the environment secretary, on the issue, adding: “I do not believe that any MP thinks that animals do not have feelings or emotions.”

There has been a lot of misinformation spread online regarding animals as sentient beings. I wrote to @michaelgove last month regarding this issue.

I do not believe that any MP thinks that animals do not have feelings or emotions. pic.twitter.com/eoZkOdPqHP — Hugo Swire (@HugoSwire) November 22, 2017

Nevertheless, the vote has triggered protests from animal rights groups, including multiple online petitions aimed at the House of Lords, UK parliament and Gove.



Public figures including the presenter Sue Perkins have voiced strong criticism of MPs over the issue.

Shameful bastards, denying what is obvious - animal sentience.

Let's not take this one lying down. #resist https://t.co/EqHeg8HKWz — Sue Perkins (@sueperkins) November 20, 2017

Gudrun Ravetz, senior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, commenting on the vote, said: “It is extremely concerning that a marginal majority of MPs have voted-down this seminal clause. This action undermines the government’s previous promises that the UK will continue to be known for our high standards of animal health and welfare post-Brexit.”

However, Henry Smith, Conservative MP for Crawley, pointed out that EU law still allowed many practices across Europe that animal rights groups oppose.

The EU protocol on animals being sentient beings allows bullfighting, veal farming, foie gras ‘production’, live exports for slaughter and cruel fur product imports. British animal welfare laws are the highest globally and on Brexit we’ll be free to strengthen them further still. — Henry Smith MP (@HenrySmithUK) November 21, 2017

The amendment, proposed by the Green party co-leader Caroline Lucas, among others, had set out to specifically incorporate article 13 of title II of the Lisbon treaty into UK law. During debate on the amendment last Wednesday, Lucas pointed out that the origins of the clause began with the 1997 UK presidency of the EU and that from 1999 EU law had explicitly recognised that animals were sentient life forms. That protocol was subsequently included in the treaty.

Lucas told the Commons: “The government have rightly and commendably committed to transferring all existing EU law on animal welfare into UK law under the bill, but because the text of the Lisbon treaty is not transferred by the bill, the wording of article 13 on animal sentience will not explicitly be incorporated into UK law.”

She added: “The UK has no legal instrument other than article 13 of the Lisbon treaty to provide that animals are sentient beings.”

Regardless of the failed amendment, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 remains on the statute book, which although it does not specifically mention sentience, contains law regrading animals in distress.

Lucas was unimpressed by May’s intervention on the issue, tweeting: