London, 23rd September 2022
Today (Friday 23rd September) the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) is delighted to announce that the Rt Hon. Michael Gove MP has joined as a Patron.
Michael Gove has been the Conservative MP for Surrey Heath since 2005. During this time, he has held a number of leading cabinet positions, including most recently as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities between September 2021 and July 2022.
Prior to this he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from July 2019 to September 2021, and Minister for the Cabinet Office from February 2020 to September 2021. He was Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from June 2017 to July 2019.
He has also served as Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury, as well as Secretary of State for Education.
During Michael Gove’s tenure as Secretary of State for Defra, he championed key environmental and animal welfare measures including ending live animal exports for fattening and slaughter.
Rt Hon. Michael Gove MP, of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation Patron, commented: “I am delighted to join the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation as a Patron and support efforts to advance animal welfare in the UK. The Conservative Party has a long and proud record of delivering important measures for animals, and we must work hard to ensure this record is maintained.
“I am looking forward to championing animal welfare in Parliament as a CAWF Patron, and ensuring critical commitments included in the Conservative Party Manifesto are delivered.”
Lorraine Platt, Co-Founder of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Michael Gove as a Patron of CAWF. Having held a number of key cabinet positions over the last ten years, including Secretary of State for Defra, he brings a wealth of important experience.
“We look forward to working together to ensure existing animal welfare commitments are honoured by the Government, in particular, ensuring that the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is returned to complete its passage in Parliament.”
About Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF)
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 2016 to raise awareness on the lives of billions of animals reared on intensive farms around the world and how this impact upon animal welfare, the environment and people’s health. We want to highlight the action people can take to help advance farm animal welfare.
Animal welfare is an increasing concern amongst the public, who frequently look to Government to take the lead in both maintaining and improving standards.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation believes it is highly important that the welfare of farm animals is placed at the forefront of the Governments plan for food and farming along with its focus on productivity, competitiveness, and technology.
Media contact: Sophia Stileman (sophia.stileman@conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org)
