| Dear, A leaked document shows the government is backtracking on their promise to ban chlorinated chicken in a trade deal with Trump. [1] They’re leaving the door wide open to food from the US that violates our high animal welfare and food standards. [2] | |
| Right now, the government is hoping that their broken promise will go unnoticed. But if we kick up a huge fuss, we can shine a spotlight on the government’s hypocrisy. The second round of US-UK trade talks have just started, so we need to pile on the pressure, and quick. [3] | |
| As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has ultimate responsibility for the government’s trade policy. If tens of thousands of us sign an open letter to him, calling out this broken promise and asking him to ban food that violates our animal welfare and food standards in law, he’ll be in no doubt about where the public stand. So John, please will you sign the open letter now? | |
SIGN THE OPEN LETTER In the US, thousands of chickens are packed into enormous “mega-sheds”, forced to live in their own faeces, and even blinded by noxious gases. [4] They then have to be sprayed with chlorine or acid, to hide these cruel practices and make them “safe” to eat. [5] If the government lets up on their promise, chlorinated chicken is just one example of the kind of food that could be flooding our supermarkets. Thanks to tens of thousands of 38 Degrees members – and trade and farming campaigners all across the country – we’ve helped get this issue on the government’s radar. A few months ago they issued their strongest words yet that they’d protect the UK’s high food and animal welfare standards. [6] But now they’re squirming out of their promise to try to secure a quick trade deal with the US. It could put British farmers out of business in the process. [7] We can’t let that happen. So John, will you sign the open letter now, and tell Boris Johnson to put in law a ban on food that violates our high food and animal welfare standards? SIGN THE OPEN LETTER Thanks for being involved, NOTES: [1] The Guardian: Cabinet unrest over U-turn on animal welfare in US trade talks: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/06/uk-accused-u-turn-animal-welfare-us-trade-talks Financial Times: UK leaves door open to imports of US chlorine-washed chicken: https://www.ft.com/content/a4b0ceb9-99e8-483e-8d42-048c8834530b Daily Telegraph: US trade deal that promised tariffs on chlorinated chicken questioned by animal welfare groups: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/06/07/us-trade-deal-promised-tariffs-chlorinated-chicken-questioned/ The Independent: Government ready to open British markets to chlorinated chicken for US trade deal: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chlorinated-chicken-british-markets-us-trade-deal-trump-a9548431.html [2] See note 1 [3] Gov.uk: Negotiations on the UK’s future trading relationship with the US: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/negotiations-on-the-uks-future-trading-relationship-with-the-us-update [4] The Mirror: Inside grim US megasheds of chlorine-wash chickens that Brits may soon be eating: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/inside-grim-megasheds-chlorine-wash-21561931 [5] See note 4 [6] Politico: UK strategy for US trade talks promises to protect NHS, food safety standards: https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-strategy-for-us-trade-talks-promises-to-protect-nhs-food-safety-standards/ ITV: UK publishes negotiating objective s for post-Brexit US trade deal: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-02/uk-publishes-negotiating-objectives-for-us-trade-deal/ [7] BBC News: UK would be ‘insane’ to let in chlorinated chicken, farmers say: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51626525 The Telegraph: British farmers ‘will go out of business’ in UK-US trade deal, Theresa Villiers warns: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/05/25/british-farmers-will-go-business-uk-us-trade-deal-theresa-villiers/ |
