The Tory Government has outdone itself when it comes to neglecting animal rights this week – by effectively declaring that all animals (apart from humans, of course) have no emotions or feelings, including the ability to feel pain. While debating the Brexit bill, MPs voted not to transfer into UK law the parts of EU legislation which recognise animals have sentience, and can feel pain and emotions.

Remember all that campaigning against the badger cull and May’s attempt to bring back fox-hunting? It was probably all a waste. As the Government begins to shape the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, it has taken a vote to scrap EU legislation that sees non-human animals as sentient beings. Once we leave the EU in 2019, it’s not only badgers and foxes that will be threatened by this change in law, but all animals that aren’t pets. So basically all animals that it will be profitable to exploit.

This vote comes in contrast to extensive scientific evidence that shows that other animals do have feelings and emotions, some even stronger than ours.

But politicians clearly think that they know better about animal brains than the majority of scientists on the planet. This complete lack of logic leads me to believe that many of our MPs probably have less intelligence than a jellyfish. But unfortunately I don’t have any stake in Parliament to vote through my personal opinions, unlike those MPs.

Realistically though, who would be surprised by this new vote? Despite Michael Gove’s calls to improve animal welfare standards post-Brexit, we all know the Government, and in fact most of the UK public, doesn’t really care about animals unless they’re cute and fluffy.

This is how we have ended up in a society where a cat being thrown in a bin sparks national outrage, but the majority of the population will complain about this while eating a burger from the local fast food chain which has probably come from a chicken that suffered abuse its whole life.

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“Animal welfare” in the Government’s (and indeed the public’s) eyes is riddled with double standards. At the moment, 80 per cent of the UK’s animal welfare legislation comes from the EU – if we’re voting out the fact that animals are sentient, why would we even bother with the rest of it? If the Government doesn’t believe that animals can even feel pain, surely none of their rights will be protected at all.

When we leave the EU, pets will be protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. But where does this leave wild animals, those in labs, and those in other forms of captivity? Just a small example of this is cosmetics testing. Under EU law it is illegal to test on animals for cosmetics like body wash and nail varnish. But this could easily be scrapped just like the recognition of animals as sentient beings has been.

We are looking at a very grim future for animals, where hunting is reintroduced, labs are free to test on animals with as much cruelty as they wish (and no pain relief) and farms are less and less regulated.

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1/51 11 April 2018 A man pulls the flowers down from a fence opposite the house of Richard Osborn-Brooks in South Park Crescent in Hither Green, London. The shrine has become an unlikely flashpoint of tensions between the grieving family and his neighbours since last week's incident where burglar Henry Vincent was killed by Richard Osborn-Brooks at his house PA

2/51 10 April 2018 Jonathan Powell, Lord John Alderdice, Lord David Trimble, Sir Reg Empey, Lord Paul Murphy of Torfaen and (front row left to right) Professor Monica McWilliams, Seamus Mallon, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Senator George Mitchell and Gerry Adams, at an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, at Queen's University in Belfast. PA

3/51 9 April 2018 The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn gesture during the launch of Labour's local election campaign in central London. AFP/Getty

4/51 8 April 2018 Hungarians queue to vote in their country's general election, in central London. Reuters

5/51 7 April 2018 Orthodox Jews show support for a protest outside Downing Street in London, after at least nine Palestinians were shot and killed by the Israeli army at the Gaza-Israel border. Rex

6/51 6 April 2018 Charlie Tanfield of England celebrates winning gold in Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit Finals, alongside Scottish silver medalist John Archibald and New Zealand's Dylan Kennett with the bronze at the XXI Commonwealth Games in Australia. EPA

7/51 5 April 2018 Tributes for Ray Wilkins outside Stamford Bridge. The former Chelsea and England midfielder, who won 84 caps for his country, died in hospital on Wednesday morning following a cardiac arrest last Friday. PA

8/51 4 April 2018 Alistair Brownlee, flag bearer of England, arrives with the team during the Opening Ceremony for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Carrara Stadium. Getty

9/51 3 April 2018 Police at the scene where a 16-year-old boy was shot on Monday evening and left in a critical condition in Markhouse Road in Walthamstow, east London. PA

10/51 2 April 2018 Roads are cleared in Nenthead, Cumbria, as five weather warnings are in place as heavy rain and snow affect swathes of the country on Easter Monday. Getty

11/51 1 April 2018 Former Spitfire pilot Squadron Leader Allan Scott, 96, prepares to fly as a passenger in a Spitfire watched by Mary Ellis, 101, the oldest surviving member of the Air Transport Auxillary wing who flew over 400 Spitfires during the Second World War, as part of the RAF100 commemorations at Biggin Hill Airport.. PA

12/51 31 March 2018 The cortege arrives at Great St Marys Church, where the funeral of theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking is being held, in Cambridge. Reuters

13/51 30 March 2018 A wooden cross is carried up Roundhill in Bath, Wiltshire, where several Christian Church congregations take part in the Walk of Witness to imitate the journey that Jesus took carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem on Good Friday. PA

14/51 29 March 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May meets a local parents and toddler group at St Andrew's Heddon-on-the-Wall, CofE Primary School during a tour of the UK timed to coincide with one year to go until Britain leaves the European Union. May is on a tour with a promise to keep the country "strong and united" one year before Brexit. WPA Pool/Getty

15/51 28 March 2018 Catalan independence supporters protest outside Edinburgh Sherriff Court where Clara Ponsati is appearing. The pro-independence Catalan politician handed herself to Scottish Police as she is being sought by the Spanish government, who have accused her of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds. Getty

16/51 27 March 2018 Jacob Rees-Mogg speaks about Brexit at a Leave Means Leave event at Carlton House Terrace, London. PA

17/51 26 March 2018 The coffin of Kenneth White, an RAF veteran who died with no known family, is carried into Cambridge City Crematorium ahead of his funeral. A Facebook appeal was launched for people to attend the funeral of Mr White, who died at the age of 84. Over 100 strangers turned up to his funeral. PA

18/51 25 March 2018 The Unveiling of Project 84, to represent the 84 men who commit suicide per week in Britain, eighty-four individual sculptures are placed on roofs, 12 of the sculptures are positioned on the roof of the This Morning Studio and the remaining 72 are standing on the roof of the ITV Studios Tower. ITV/REX

19/51 24 March 2018 Cambridge men and women celebrate together after their double victory over Oxford in the 2018 boat race. Getty

20/51 23 March 2018 Michel Barnier kisses Theresa May's hand as they arrive at the EU Summit in Brussels. Rex

21/51 22 March 2018 Emergency services workers lay flowers and pay their respects at Parliament Square in Westminster on the anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack in London. Reuters

22/51 21 March 2018 The Fishing for Leave boat passes the Houses of Parliament on the River Thames, during a protest where fish were discarded into the Thames. PA

23/51 20 March 2018 Houses sit on the cliff edge on The Marrams in Hemsby, as thirteen homes on the sandy cliffs have been evacuated amid fears they could topple into the sea, with further high tides and strong winds forecast. The residents of the properties in Norfolk were forced to leave over the weekend, Great Yarmouth Borough Council said. PA

24/51 19 March 2018 Activists show their support outside of Chelmsford Crown Court for the ‘Stansted 15’, a group prosecuted under terrorism-related charges after blocking a mass deportation charter flight in April 2017 William Prior

25/51 18 March 2018 Sadiq Khan, Imelda Staunton, Gloria Hunniford at the annual Saint Patrick's Day parade in London. Rex

26/51 17 March 2018 Fans make their way through a snow shower to Molineux Stadium ahead of the Sky Bet Championship match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burton Albion. Amber warnings for snow and ice have been issued by the Met Office ahead of a cold snap dubbed the "mini beast from the east". PA

27/51 16 March 2018 Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz visit a Battle of Britain bunker at RAF Northolt in Uxbridge. Reuters

28/51 15 March 2018 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May talks with Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable Kier Pritchard as she is shown the police tent covering the bench in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were discovered on March 4, following an apparent nerve agent attack. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent poisoning and suspended high-level contacts, including for the World Cup on March 14. Theresa May told parliament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Novichok, was used in Salisbury. AFP/Getty

29/51 14 March 2018 A man prepares to lay flowers outside Gonville and Caius College, at Cambridge University following the death of British physicist, Stephen Hawking, who was a fellow of the University for over 50 years. The flag over the college flew at half-mast as students and academics came to pay tribute after his death. AFP/Getty

30/51 13 March 2018 The crowd looks on during Cheltenham Festival Champion Day. Rex

31/51 12 March 2018 A police officer on duty near a protective tent which covers the bench where a man and woman were apparently poisoned with what was later identified as a nerve agent, in Salisbury. AFP/Getty

32/51 11 March 2018 Protesters against the Turkish war on Syrian Kurds in Afrin block the tracks at Manchester Piccadilly station bringing rail services in and out of the terminal to a halt. PA

33/51 10 March 2018 Royal Air Force Police dog Tornado leaps through a set of hoops on day three of the Crufts dog show at the NEC Arena in Birmingham. Getty

34/51 9 March 2018 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, during a visit to Abertay University in Dundee, prior to his address to delegates at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in the city's Caird Hall. PA

35/51 8 March 2018 Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson sits with Year 1 pupils during a visit to St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy in Hastings. Reuters

36/51 7 March 2018 Electronic billboards show adverts for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the hashtag ‘#ANewSaudiArabia’ in London. Getty

37/51 6 March 2018 A police officer stands guard outside a branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi close to The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, which was closed in connection to the ongoing major incident sparked after a man and a woman were found critically ill on a bench at the shopping centre on 4 March. AFP/Getty

38/51 5 March 2018 Gary Oldman, winner of the Best Actor award for 'Darkest Hour,' poses with his award in the press room during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center. Getty

39/51 4 March 2018 Great Britain's Andrew Pozzi celebrates winning the men's 60m hurdles final as Aries Merritt of United States looks dejected during the IAAF World Indoor Championships at Arena Birmingham. Getty/IAAF

40/51 3 March 2018 People playing with their sledges in Greenwich Park, east London, as the cold weather continues around the country. PA

41/51 2 March 2018 Theresa May delivers a speech about her vision for Brexit at Mansion House. Reuters

42/51 1 March 2018 'The Couple', a sculpture by Sean Henry, braves the snow in Newbiggin-By-The-Sea in Northumberland, as storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, looks poised to meet the Beast from the East's chilly Russian air. PA Wire/PA Images

43/51 28 February 2018 The scene on the M80 Haggs in Glasgow, as the highest level of weather warning has been issued for Scotland and Ireland as forecasters warn of "blizzard-like" conditions. A red alert for Munster and Leinster in the Republic of Ireland and the central belt of Scotland has been put out for heavy snow and strong winds. Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Wicklow and Meath are also covered by a red warning, which was issued early on Wednesday morning. PA

44/51 27 February 2018 Icicles hang from a frozen elephant fountain in Colchester. Freezing weather conditions dubbed the "Beast from the East" has seen snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK. Getty Images

45/51 26 February 2018 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes a keynote speech as he sets out Labour's position on Brexit, at the National Transport Design Centre in Coventry. Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit speech confirmed that a Labour Government would negotiate full tariff-free access to EU markets for UK business. Getty

46/51 25 February 2018 Victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles come together to take part in the Time for truth march through Belfast city centre against the stalled efforts in dealing with Northern Ireland's legacy issues. Rex

47/51 24 February 2018 Oxford University Boat Club race in preparation for The Cancer Research UK Boat Race 2018, Oxford University Boat Club race Oxford Brookes University in London, England. Getty

48/51 23 February 2018 Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell leaves Barkingside Magistrates Court after being given a £87,170 fine in Barking, England. Mr Chappell, who was in charge of BHS for a year before it went bust, was found guilty of failing to provide information demanded by The Pensions Regulator. Getty

49/51 22 February 2018 Youths chase after the leather ball during the annual 'Fastern Eve Handba' event in Jedburgh's High Street in the Scottish Borders in Jedburgh, Scotland. The annual event, which started in the 1700's, takes place today and involves two teams, the Uppies (residents from the higher part of Jedburgh) and the Doonies (residents from the lower part of Jedburgh) getting the ball to either the top or bottom of the town. The ball which is made of leather, stuffed with straw and decorated with ribbons is thrown into the crowd to begin the game. Getty

50/51 21 February 2018 An anti-Brexit campaign battle bus drives through Westminster in London, England. The crowd-funded coach is to tour the country making 33 stops two years after the Vote Leave campaign drove a similar bus around the UK with the now famous slogan: 'We send the EU £350 million a week let's fund our NHS instead'. Getty

51/51 20 February 2018 Sarah Clarke is introduced as the new Black Rod to the House of Lords. She is the first female Black Rod in the 650-year history of the role and will be known as the Lady Usher of the Black Rod. PA

But what worries me most about this development is that it shows just how much potential havoc Brexit could cause. Voting the recognition of animal sentience out of UK legislation is a pretty big deal, but it’s barely been reported on in mainstream news outlets. As each EU law is put to the vote, I wonder how many more will be scrapped without being brought to the public’s attention. Why are we not being consulted about what laws are being changed? Why are we barely even being told?

In the next two years, the Government will make a multitude of changes in the hope that when 2019 comes, our laws will have altered so much that no amount of campaigning at that time will be able to overturn the decisions made. Campaigners will be forced to pick the one or two “most important” rights to get back, and everything else will go through unchallenged.

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It will be too difficult to change every single law when it is implemented in 2019. It is not too difficult now, however, to tackle each dodgy vote as it makes its way through Parliament.

In the coming weeks and months, MPs will be voting on our future. They will be voting on the future of other animals, but they will also be voting on the future of the environment and human beings. So let’s challenge this sham vote on animal feelings, and let’s challenge the rest of the nonsense the Tory Government tries to throw at us too.

This piece was updated to clarify the way in which MPs voted against animal sentience