The Badger Cull is a political decision
It must be challenged though parliament and through the courts
Landowners and farmers should be offered vaccination and the issue of new licences should cease.
Professor Charles Godfray, at Oxford University, led an independent review commissioned by the government into the management of bTB which reported November 2018.
Godfray concluded:
"It is wrong to put all the blame on [badgers] and to use this as an excuse not to make hard decisions in the industry, which unfortunately is going to cost
them money."
........ also ...........
It (culling) is NOT a science decision – it has to be made by ministers."
We must lobby our MP's !
These are difficult times for us all, but we cannot allow this government to 'hide' a massive expansion of the cull behind all the other pressing troubles. Unless we act now, nearly 65,000 badgers could be shot this year alone. We must to make culling a key issue for politicians. Even if they support culling or follow the conservative party line, they cannot ignore a massive outcry from their constituents.
We'd love to know what you say and for you to share the responses with us.
OBG has written to all six Oxfordshire MP's and will write again. We are also asking local Councils to ban culling on land they own.
You can read our letters to each of the parties below.
The Badger Trust letter
The legal challenges in 2020
Two separate, but complimentary legal challenges are being mounted against the badger cull.
Tom Langton's Badger Crowd team are fundraising to 'Help Stop DEFRA Plans to Extend Badger Culling' . This case high lights the need to focus on vaccination and halt the expansion of the cull, particularly in low risk areas such as Cumbria. We recommend you follow his Crowd justice page and donate if you can.
Wild Justice are bringing a case against the licensing of Badger shooting. They argue that DEFRA and Natural England have failed to define humane practices and that unacceptably high number of badgers, killed by free shooting, die slowly and painfully every year. They have met their funding target - details and updates are here
Current Oxon. MP email addresses as at 15 Aug 2020
| Name/ Party/ Constituency | |
| John Howell, Conservative MP for Henley | howelljm@parliament.uk |
| David Johnston, Conservative MP for Wantage | david.johnston.mp@parliament.uk |
| Victoria Prentice,Conservative MP for Banbury | victoria.prentis.mp@parliament.uk |
| Robert Courts, Conservative MP for Witney | robert.courts.mp@parliament.uk |
| Anneliese Dodds, Labour, Coop MP for Oxford East | anneliese.dodds.mp@parliament.uk |
| Layla Moran, Liberal Dem. MP Oxford W & Abingdon | layla.moran.mp@parliament.uk |