Labour has repeated its promise to end the inhumane and ineffective killing of badgers in West Somerset. The Liberal Democrats have lined up with the Conservatives, saying they want another cull to take place this year.
The West Somerset Labour secretary, Andy Lewis, has written to badger protection groups, to assure them that there will be no more culls when Labour wins power. Licences lasting four years were issued in 2012. But Andy said :
“The licences have restrictions which would make it possible for a Labour government to stop culling without legal difficulty. Firstly, each year’s cull has to approved in writing by Natural England. Secondly, licence holders have been told that their licences can be terminated or revoked at any time by the Secretary of State.
“ Ending the badger cull pilot is a very clear Labour policy and I am confident it will be implemented if a Labour government is elected in May.”
Lib Dems BACK the cull
Meanwhile, the Lib Dem UKIP candidate in Bridgwater and West Somerset, Theo Butt Philip, wants the shooters to return later this year and start killing badgers again. Ignoring the evidence that it just doesn’t work, he said: “We need to use every tool to stop bovine TB – even if that involves culling badgers.”
The Lib Dems have a record of switching policy on this issue. Last year, they claimed to have stopped the Conservative environment secretary from extending the culls. But now, they say a policy that has failed should be used again in West Somerset.
As someone once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing year after year and expecting different results.
The only way to stop the killing of badgers is to vote in a Labour government.