There are few fixtures in British politics these days but Larry the cat is one of them. The Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office has become something of an ornament of the constitution, serving for a decade with distinction under three Prime Ministers and three Cabinet Secretaries. Residing in No. 10 Downing Street, the feline phenomenon is tasked with ridding Boris Johnson’s home of pests, with the government’s own website listing Larry’s responsibilities as resolving ‘the mouse occupancy of the house.’
But now could that all be about to change? When Parliament returns next month, peers will have to resume scrutiny of the government’s controversial Animal Sentience Bill, which is set to create a powerful super committee to scrutinise the impact of all UK policy on creatures judged to be ‘sentient.’ Fears have already been raised in the House of Lords about what this committee would mean for those in pest control, given the tendency of such committees for ‘mission creep’ and the likely members of it.
Already the influential Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) – which counts Carrie Johnson and environment minister Lord Goldsmith among its patrons – has pushed for octopuses and lobsters to be included in the legislation, despite the possible impact on Britain’s hard-pressed fishermen. Earlier this month the same group tweeted in support of an article – ‘Animal Sentience: The Conservatives would be batty to vote against it’ – by Steven McCulloch, a senior lecturer in human-animal studies at Winchester University.
The same academic told the environment committee last month that, in spite of animal welfare laws being on British statute books since 1822: ‘I would argue that we do not have specific laws to protect wildlife’ and that: ‘by “wildlife”, I am thinking about the indiscriminate poisoning of rats using inhumane methods.’ With rat catchers reporting lockdown related spikes in recent months, there are now fears within the industry about the impact the new legislation could have on effective methods to tackle problems with mice, rats and other vermin.
Ian Andrew, chief executive of the British Pest Control Association, told Steerpike that while the professional pest management community does back tougher sentencing for wildlife crime, there was concern with the government’s proposals ‘that the balance is tipping too far towards the protection and welfare of animals at the expense of human health and safety.’ He added: ‘While the protection of animals is essential, there are times when the protection of human life, health and wellbeing have to take priority.’
Let’s hope for the sake of Larry and other pest managers, such warnings are heeded.
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