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Dozens of infectious disease experts from around the world are urging Boris Johnson to lead countries to permanently ban fur farming to prevent future pandemic outbreaks.The scientists are calling on the prime minister to press other world leaders at the G7 summit, starting in a week’s time, to halt the trade.The UK government earlier this week put out a call for public views on banning imports and sales of real animal fur, with a view to issuing a ban.The 67 experts from 16 countries who have signed the letter, including a former UK government chief scientific adviser, say fur farms provide ideal conditions for the creation and spread of new, deadly pathogens that can jump to humans.Covid-19 has been found on 427 mink fur farms in 12 countries in Europe and North America, including 290 farms in Denmark, 23 in Greece, 69 in the Netherlands and 16 in the US, according to figures from Humane Society International (HSI).The Danish government last year culled all the country’s 17 million mink to curb a Covid-19 mutation and because the animal was considered likely to host future mutations.Together with China, Canada, the US and Russia, the country is one of the world’s biggest fur producers.

To risk jeopardising our ability to control and end global coronavirus pandemics, for the sake of fur fashion, would seem imprudentLetter from 67 scientistsThe letter was sent as global health ministers meet in Oxford before the main G7 summit, to thrash out a deal on curbing future pandemic risks.The letter to Mr Johnson, environment secretary George Eustice and health secretary Matt Hancock says: “Fur farms have the potential to act as reservoirs of Sars-CoV-2.“The intensive breeding conditions typical on fur farms – animals unnaturally crowded together, poor hygiene, stress, injuries and low genetic diversity – are ideal for the creation and spread of novel pathogens.“The trade creates potential for the many tens of millions of animals on fur farms to act as immediate, intermediate or amplifier hosts for viral pathogens.“To risk jeopardising our ability to control and end this or future global coronavirus pandemics, for the sake of fur fashion production, would seem imprudent.”It was signed by vets, virologists and epidemiologists, including Alastair MacMillan, a former government chief scientific adviser and chief vet, and Alick Simmons, a former government deputy chief vet. Scientists from the US, Italy, Germany, Canada and France also signed.The letter points out that “a significant number” of fur farm workers have caught Covid from mink, citing test data.And infection in mink can lead to mutations of the virus, which potentially risks undermining vaccines, it adds.Each year the trade worldwide kills at least 100 million animals, mostly mink and raccoon dogs, which are susceptible to catching and spreading coronaviruses.Claire Bass, executive director of HSI/UK said: “We can no longer ignore that fur farms make for a perfect petri dish for pandemics.“As the first country in the world to ban fur farming two decades ago, the UK as G7 host is in a unique position to urge world leaders to take decisive action.” More

A Tory-run council has prompted a row by planning to spend £20,000 on changing the colours of its signage, logo and even bins.Darlington borough councillors are being accused of wasting money to turn its branding Tory blue, at a time when budgets are under pressure and council tax has been hiked by 5 per cent.The authority is undergoing a transformation project in an effort to “reconnect” with residents.In 2019, Labour lost control of Darlington borough council after decades in power, and the town voted in a Tory MP for the first time since 1992.The new project involves dropping the red, green and yellow of the existing signage.“We know that the relationship under previous administrations has been damaged,” according to deputy leader Jonathan Dulston.He confirmed the council wanted to distance itself from earlier administrations, but denied the intention was to align itself with Conservative Party blue.“That would be inappropriate, and we know that. Ultimately the council – although we are in control – has to be independent from any party politics, so we wouldn’t want to go down that road in any way, shape or form,” he told The Guardian.And he said the new colour being used was not blue, but teal – a blueish-green. “It’s a colour that has widely used by the council for a number of years now,” he said.He added that local MP Peter Gibson backed the transformation, writing an article in The Northern Echo last month headlined “The world is turning blue, and we’re only just getting started”.Funding for the redesign comes from £23m awarded to Darlington, in the Tees Valley, from the government’s towns fund, which is intended to boost struggling towns.But Labour councillor Nick Wallis said many residents were unhappy with the proposals, particularly, he said, “as we’re a local authority under the cosh, in terms of austerity and council tax has just been put up by 5 per cent”.He said the way the decision had been taken, without consultation or planning, and “the sheer political opportunism” was becoming a hallmark of the new Tory administration.“This doesn’t paint, dare I say it, Darlington council in a good light,” he told The Guardian. “We don’t want to be in the headlines for these reasons. It’s a misuse of the town’s fund money, and I’m sure it won’t be the last occasion.” More

The government is set to double the number of badgers killed in England as it grants new licences to cull the native mammals in 10 areas.Since the badger cull started in 2013, in an attempt to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB), more than 140,000 badgers have been shot.And experts predict another 140,000 or even more will be killed in the next five years, after government officials gave the go-ahead to expand operations in 10 counties from Devon to Cheshire.The new five-year licences, which take effect as soon as next week, mean the culling is still only halfway through, according to the Badger Trust.The trust says the 280,000 total – due to be reached by 2026 – will represent nearly 60 per cent of England’s total estimated badger population of 485,000.Natural England, an arm of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), issued the new permissions on the same day as Defra chiefs confirmed plans, outlined earlier this year, to stop issuing new licences after next year.Defra also said existing cull licences could be cut short after two years instead of running for five, “where supported by sufficient scientific evidence”.And it gave £2.27m to a five-year trial of badger vaccination in East Sussex, and announced an increase in cattle testing for bTB.The Badger Trust accused the government of slipping out the issuing of new cull licences under cover of the other announcements.Dawn Varley, its acting chief executive, said: “We’re underwhelmed at this announcement, as in reality it does little to change the immediate future for badgers.“While the government wants the headline to be that cull licences cease from 2022, in reality those mass culling licences will run to 2026, and combined with those already in play, we estimate will lead to another 140,000 badgers still to be killed, in addition to the 140,000 we have already lost.“We’re also sceptical of the ‘investment’ in badger vaccinations, as in reality this is a five-year pilot, in one area only, that just delays more extensive roll-out.”She said until the government switches its focus to the cattle-to-cattle transmission of bTB, there was “little to celebrate”.“Once again the government attempts to use ‘good news’ to cover bad. Sadly, badgers continue to be the scapegoat for a failed approach to controlling bTB, and the senseless slaughter continues next week when the cull starts once more.”

The government wants the headline to be that cull licences cease from 2022 but in reality mass culling licences will run to 2026Dawn VarleyBadgers carry bTB, which leads to farmers having to cull infected dairy herds, although the extent to which badgers infect cattle is disputed.In the past year, at least 27,000 cattle in England were slaughtered to tackle the disease, according to the government.The cull has been controversial from the start. Opponents argue that when a badger population is disrupted by a cull, survivors move out of the area, potentially spreading the disease to previously unaffected places. Meanwhile, farmers argue dairy cattle should be protected.The National Farmers’ Union warned that to stop issuing cull licences after next year would jeopardise attempts to control bTB.George Eustice, the environment secretary, said: “The badger cull has led to a significant reduction in the disease, but no one wants to continue the cull of a protected species indefinitely.”Richard Benwell, head of the Wildlife and Countryside Link, called for a pause to culling this year, saying: “Delivering a cattle vaccine roll-out by 2025 is vital, as cow-to-cow transmission is still by far the biggest spreader of this horrible disease.“But a shift to badger vaccinating is long overdue, and yet government is planning a five-year local trial before any wider action, with thousands of badgers dying painful and prolonged deaths in the meantime. We need a much faster timeline from government on rolling out a nationwide badger vaccination plan.“Up to 300,000 badgers could be killed in total by the end of this scheme, pushing them to local extinction in some areas.”An eight-week consultation was launched in January, seeking views on proposals in response to an independent review of the 25-year bTB strategy, led by Professor Sir Charles Godfray.A vaccine for cattle would be a breakthrough in tackling bTB. Scientists at the Animal and Plant Health Agency developed a vaccine last year. More

Priti Patel’s attempt to review a long-awaited report into an unsolved murder linked to police corruption is “suspicious”, relatives have said.Daniel Morgan, a private investigator, was brutally murdered in the car park of a London pub in March 1987.Despite five police inquiries and an inquest, no-one has been brought to justice over the father-of-two’s death, and the Metropolitan Police has admitted that corruption hampered the original murder investigation.Mr Morgan’s brother Alastair, who has been campaigning for justice for three decades, said the Home Office had “no right whatsoever to ‘review’ the panel’s report”.“It makes a mockery of the panel’s independence,” he wrote on Twitter. “We’re now looking to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel to defend their independence and fend off this unwarranted intervention from the home secretary. We’re very hopeful that they will.”A previous statement from the family called the delay a “kick in the teeth”, and said that waiting for the report’s findings had been “torture”.Raju Bhatt, a lawyer representing Mr Morgan’s family, told the Radio 4 Today programme that his relatives have “every reason” to be suspicious about the motives behind the delay, after decades of failures over the case.He said: “From the family’s perspective they have every reason to be suspicious about the motives behind this very belated and completely unwarranted intervention by the home secretary.“We have to remember that the Home Office itself was complicit in the failings to confront this police corruption all through these decades until the panel was set up.”The independent panel, which was established by Theresa May in 2013, said its findings were originally due to be published in parliament on Monday.It said it was then told that a backlog caused by Prince Philip’s death had delayed the report until 24 May.“There was no mention by the Home Office of a need to review the report,” a statement from the panel said.“However, the panel was informed on Monday that a publication date will not be agreed until the home secretary and Home Office officials and lawyers have reviewed the contents of the panel’s report.” More

Parliament’s standards watchdog is said to believe that Boris Johnson’s holiday to Mustique was worth more than double the £15,000 he declared in the Commons register.Kathryn Stone, the commissioner for standards, has also said the bill had not been met by Tory donor David Ross as the prime minister has insisted, according to the Daily Mail.The revelation will heap further pressure on Mr Johnson as he faces various investigations into whether he properly declared any donations to cover the lavish refurbishments of his official flat.Downing Street insisted the PM “transparently declared the benefit in kind” of the luxury Caribbean holiday, and noted that Mr Ross confirmed the declaration is “correct”.The parliamentary commissioner for standards confirmed this week she is still investigating whether Mr Johnson properly declared the holiday on the private island 16 months ago.In the Register of Members’ Interests, the prime minister declared the trip with fiancee Carrie Symonds as a “benefit in kind” from the Carphone Warehouse founder who has a villa on the island.But the Daily Mail reported that Ms Stone believes the break was worth more than twice the declared £15,000.Mr Johnson was said to have refused to accept the ruling and is trying to have it overturned to avoid the risk of being suspended as an MP.A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The PM transparently declared the benefit in kind in the Commons Register of Interests. The Cabinet Office was aware of the declaration and was content it was appropriate.“A spokesman for Mr Ross confirmed the PM’s declaration is correct and the accommodation was facilitated as a donation in kind.”This week, a spokesperson for Mr Ross said in a statement: “Mr Ross facilitated accommodation for Mr Johnson on Mustique valued at £15,000.“Therefore this is a benefit in kind from Mr Ross to Mr Johnson, and Mr Johnson’s declaration to the House of Commons is correct.” More

Ministers are taking action to cut the number of slaughterhouse animals killed without stunning, the animal-welfare minister says.Zac Goldsmith told The Independent the government was taking several steps to tackle the practice, which is condemned by the British Veterinary Association as causing needless suffering and distress.No-stun slaughter in abattoirs is done to meet requirements of Jewish and Muslim faiths, under which an animal’s blood is drained while it is still conscious.Some Muslims accept stunning if it renders the animal unconscious without killing it, but others refuse to accept stunning, so hundreds of thousands of animals a week have their throats cut while still awake.It’s estimated halal consumers account for about 20 per cent of all UK sheep meat consumption.But some meat from unstunned animals also goes into the food chain for non-religious consumers.Lord Goldsmith said: “There is a range of measures we are going to be taking.“We want to be respectful towards different religions and religious practices but we also want to tackle what is clearly an animal-welfare issue.“And we think we can do so and can do so quickly.”He said ministers were working with interested parties in the hope of reaching a consensus on action.He said an initiative launched by the NFU called the “demonstration of life” protocol could show the Muslim community it was possible to apply a stun so that the animal would recover if it was allowed to. “So far progress has been promising,” he said.Officials could also try to reduce excess numbers of sheep killed without stunning. “Nearly 30 per cent of sheep are killed without stunning, and that’s clearly not a reflection of domestic demand.“There are also issues around exports and around slaughter without stunning on spec that we can address,” he added.Animal-welfare experts and vets agree that for an animal’s throat to be cut while it is fully conscious causes extreme pain and distress. Stunning, if done correctly, should render an animal insensible to that pain and trauma.Around 94 million UK animals are slaughtered without stunning a year.Speaking to The Independent as the government launched proposals for a radical overhaul of animal-welfare laws, Lord Goldsmith also hailed as “revolutionary” government plans to pay farmers who go “over and above” the minimum standards required in an “animal-welfare pathway”.“I think it’s a world-first and it should have a very significant impact.”He said £3bn a year that used to go on the Common Agricultural Policy that “denuded Europe and the UK of wildlife and biodiversity” will now will put towards benefiting the environment.“We’re trying as president of Cop26 to build up a coalition of countries to commit to doing something similar … if we could get a chunk of them to do the same we could theoretically flip the market to sustainable land use for the first time since the industrial revolution. This is huge,” he said.Asked why the plan refers only to “exploring” bans on sales of real fur and foie gras – two of animal lovers’ most popular demands – rather than promising a definite ban, he said: “We have to look at the evidence whenever you bring in a rule that changes the value of a business, you have to consult. You can’t just unilaterally decide, otherwise the policy would be overturned.“The fur industry is extraordinarily litigious.”On the proposed ban on UK advertising of overseas attractions based on animal cruelty, he said he hoped to extend it from elephant rides to include whale and dolphin aquariums. More

Conservationists have walked out of talks with ministers over a proposed shake-up of laws on trophy-hunt imports, claiming the changes will lead to “government-approved” wildlife kills.They say the plan – part of a radical overhaul of animal welfare legislation – opens the door to shooting critically endangered species such as black rhinos, elephants and polar bears.Eduardo Goncalves, of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting (CBTH), warned that the loophole created would be “absolutely disastrous”.“Britain wanted to be a world leader on this. As it stands, it is set to be a world loser,” he said.The government’s animal welfare action plan, unveiled on Wednesday, involves fundamental changes ranging from recognising animal sentience and a ban on live exports and foie gras, to giving police more power to protect sheep from out-of-control dogs.In their 2019 election manifesto, the Conservative Party promised a ban on imports of trophy hunting of endangered animals.But the new document pledges to ensure that UK imports and exports of hunting trophies “are not threatening the conservation status of species abroad” – which campaigners say is considerably weaker, allowing wealthy UK hunters to claim an exemption on conservation grounds.The proposed ban is based largely on EU wildlife trade regulations, which would still allow hunters to bring into the country carcasses or body parts of about 100 species, many of which are officially classed as being at risk of extinction and where hunting has been listed as a threat, according to Mr Goncalves, whose group has been in talks with the government behind the scenes.Zebra, reindeer and the Cape buffalo could still be legally targeted if the hunter paid a substantial fee to “support conservation”.The exemption – branded a “blood money” loophole – was applied in the US to allow trophy hunters to shoot and take home trophies of critically endangered black rhinos.It is feared that imports of body parts from farmed lions could be allowed under the new clause.At the moment, a hunter who wants to bring in parts of a threatened species needs a permit from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure that taking the trophy is not “detrimental” to species conservation. The new proposals add the option for hunters to import trophies of critically endangered species such as the black rhino on the grounds that they could contribute to conservation.Humane Society International/UK said it was urgently seeking clarification on the proposals.The charity’s executive director, Claire Bass, said: “We are extremely concerned the government appear to be rowing back on their commitment to bring in the ‘toughest trophy-hunting rules in the world’ and end the ‘morally indefensible’ practice of trophy hunting.“Adding a caveat to imply that if a trophy is not ‘threatening the conservation status of a species abroad’ it could still be imported, would create a giant loophole and mean the legislation would provide no meaningful improvement on the status quo.“If Defra pursues this line, we could effectively end up with UK government-approved trophy-hunting. If the government plan to just repackage the old system, we cannot support them, or celebrate any progress for wildlife protection. We urgently need clarification on this important point.”The CBTH says that in its talks with the government, it was told there must be exemptions.“What has been presented today is not a ban. At best it represents no change to the current system. At worst, it opens the door to shooting critically endangered species such as black rhinos,” said Mr Goncalves.“Even canned lions would fall through this new regime, and that is something the mainstream hunting industry supports a ban on.“The government’s new position is completely unacceptable. We have no choice but to condemn the government’s terrible proposals.“We therefore cannot continue our dialogue with Defra under these circumstances and will be boycotting any further talks.“We call on the government to urgently and radically revise its position. Until then we have no option but to campaign vigorously against the new policy.”The government points to its manifesto commitment to ban imports of trophies from endangered animals, and says a consultation and talks with experts will influence which species are covered by the policy.Animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith told The Independent: “There’s no point having a ban on imports of hunting trophies if it still allows the export of body parts from endangered animals under a loophole. Details will be produced shortly, but it will be an effective and comprehensive ban. I understand the concern, but when details are revealed, those concerns will be allayed.”Supporters of trophy hunting argue that safeguarding areas for hunting protects wildlife against the greater threats of land conversion and poaching, which would increase deaths. In addition, income from hunting helped pay for conservation of species, it is claimed. More

Health chiefs in Greater Manchester have requested permission to vaccinate everyone over the age of 16 after a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases among young people in Bolton.Andy Burnham, the region’s mayor, said he and officials had made the plea amid concerns the spike – seemingly driven by the India variant – could grow out of control without decisive action.“I can report that Greater Manchester has submitted for consideration to the JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] a request that we have permission to vaccinate all over 16s in Bolton and more widely,” he said. “That request has gone in and we understand it is being considered.”Current government policy is to get the jab to everyone aged over 18.Infection rates have doubled among under 25s in Bolton in the space of a week: there were 152 cases per 100,000 people reported in the seven days up to 7 May but, for those aged 15-19, the rate stands even higher at to 223 per 100,000.In total, the north west town now has the second highest infection rate in England, according to government data.Public Health England has said the town has one of the highest rates of the India variant anywhere in the country and that there is some evidence of community transmission.Mr Burnham, who was re-elected as the region’s Labour mayor last week, said: “The way to mitigate the risk is to accelerate vaccination, particularly in the communities most affected by the Indian variant.“It is the Indian variant that is largely responsible for the increase that we’re seeing in Bolton.”The Department for Health and Social Care said in a statement no decisions have been made on whether under-18s should be routinely offered vaccinations.A spokesperson said: “We continue to follow the advice of the independent JCVI to vaccinate the most vulnerable people in society first. The priority order is primarily based on age, which is the biggest factor determining mortality.”Bolton Council said rates in three areas – Rumworth, Deane and Great Lever – were “worrying” especially as the take up of vaccinations was 10 per cent lower than the national average.The latest surge comes on the back of an especially torrid year for the town. In September it became the first place in the UK where bars and restaurants were told to shut for a second period after infection rates there became the highest in the country. More