Badger Trust

ONE DAY TO GO! The National Day of Action Against the Cull is on Tuesday, 3 September. Badgers need YOU to join in with us in any way you can: 1. MASS MP LOBBY & PEACEFUL PROTEST IN LONDON! MEET: From 11:00 meet in Parliament Square LISTEN: From 12:00 hear speakers including Chris Packham, Rosie Wood, Dale Vince, Dr Alice Brough, Rachel Bigsby and Born Free's Mark Jones and Dom Dyer LOBBY: From13:30 join our mass lobby of MPs in Parliament Event guide and more info > https://buff.ly/3YDJeMe 2. JOIN IN FROM HOME — STAND UP FOR BADGERS! - Sign & share the petition - Email your MP to #EndTheCull NOW – not in 5 YEARS as govt just announced - Arrange to meet your MP locally & ask them to #EndTheCull More info, tips & links here > https://buff.ly/3YDJeMe Q: WHY IS THE EVENT IN LONDON ON A TUESDAY? A: To mass lobby MPs to #EndTheCull we need to go WHEN and WHERE they work for us. That's a weekday at the UK Parliament in London. Q: WHY 3 SEPTEMBER? A: Did you know the 2024 intensive badger cull to kill 30,000 MORE badgers started on 1 September? MPs need to know that, too. We must ask our elected representatives to #EndTheCull NOW, not in FIVE YEARS as DEFRA Minister Zeichner has just announced. Q: WHY 11AM TO 2PM? To give time for Badger Groups in cull zones to get back for their legal nightly wounded badger patrols. Find out how you can support your local badger group > https://buff.ly/3gtXDkG #BadgerMonday

Our initial response to the Government statement on its bTB eradication plan > https://buff.ly/4g5oJ10 - Government extends the badger cull - DEFRA Minister Zeichner focuses too much on badgers in new strategy when he should focus on cattle Badgers are NOT the problem. This planned intensification of badger culling by the Government, against their manifesto pledge, must be stopped. Will you take a stand for badgers? Your action can make a difference. Join in with the National Day of Action Against the Badger Cull on Tuesday, 3 September however you can. Find out what you can do here > https://buff.ly/3YDJeMe #EndTheCull

We welcome the news that proposed long-term badger culling plans have been ruled out. This makes it even more urgent that intensive badger killing — planned to start this weekend and continue until January — and the ongoing supplementary badger cull are cancelled immediately. The Labour government knows culling badgers is ineffective — they said it in their election manifesto! And the weight of scientific evidence clearly shows that killing badgers will not help stop the spread of bovine TB in cattle. Over 30,000 more badgers' lives are at risk this autumn. The government knows that cattle-to-cattle measures, including improved testing, better biosecurity, and cattle vaccination, are the best way to deal properly with the spread of this disease. The badger cull needs to end now. Join us on 3 September at Parliament Square to protest this ongoing wildlife catastrophe. https://buff.ly/4cSDzp6

It's astonishing that the new Labour government is continuing with the badger cull despite its manifesto pledge and the weight of scientific evidence that badger culling is ineffective in stopping the spread of bovine TB. That's why we're holding an #EndTheCull National Day of Action next Tuesday, September 3. Your voice matters for badgers. Send an email or letter to your MP now, or join our peaceful, legal mass lobby of MPs at the UK Parliament in London. Read more info plus get a guide to the MP lobby event > https://buff.ly/3YDJeMe #BadgerMonday

Brian May documentary shows Government and its agencies are letting everyone down on bTB Government departments are not fit for purpose and need a complete overhaul to end misinformation and confusion about the bovine TB crisis for farmers. "Whether you care about badgers should be immaterial: you should still be outraged. We’ve had over a decade of a government department systematically and deliberately misleading farmers, taxpayers and parliamentarians." — Chair of Badger Trust, Rosie Wood “It seems that Defra and APHA are not fit for purpose; they have failed farmers, and they have failed our natural world, especially badgers. They need a complete overhaul, or they will keep making the same devastating mistakes again and again, with no respite for farmers, cows or badgers." — Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust We say it like it is. Read more > https://buff.ly/4cCtZGC

Statistics experts pull up Defra on the use of bovine TB statistics. Badger Trust has been saying this for some time: Defra’s use of statistics is misleading and fails to show the public that cattle are the main spreaders of bTB. Now Defra’s Head of Statistics has had some helpful advice on improving the Department’s use and communication of official statistics in future by the Office for Statistics Regulation. Badger Trust raised its concerns about the potential for Defra’s recent consultation document to mislead the public with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). During an informal discussion, the OSR found that Defra’s Head of Profession for statistics had not been involved in drafting the consultation document or its communication. Badger Trust took from that point that Defra’s statistical lead had not been given the chance to correct the text or explain to Defra communications staff the room for public misunderstanding or its potential consequences for the consultation. Ed Humpherson, Director General of the Office for Statistics Regulation, the regulatory division of the Office for National Statistics, which advises and sometimes intervenes with Government on the correct use of official statistics, wrote to the Chair of Badger Trust stating: "Our advice was shared in conversation with Defra’s Head of Profession for statistics, which is our standard approach when dealing with statistical teams on casework…. …. I can confirm our advice was that we had concerns about conflating changes in incidence versus changes in incidence rate. We highlighted that this distinction is particularly important where the language used within official statistics can influence language used elsewhere – for example in consultation documents." The OSR advises 'Intelligent transparency' in official statistics, and recently reminded politicians to use statistics appropriately and transparently. It feels as though Defra needs to introduce far more transparency on what statistics it has on bTB and how it properly presents them. This would be in everyone’s best interests, but most especially in the interests of the farming industry, as a policy of honesty and transparency is the only environment in which successful disease control can take place.

PLEASE WATCH 'Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me' on BBC Two at 9pm on Friday, 23 August. We were invited to a preview screening, and we say, "⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Don't miss it" Brian May says his new badger cull documentary "will outrage viewers more than anything since the Post Office scandal." We agree. The documentary also features our 2024 Symposium speaker, large mammal vet Dick Sibley, whose insights are measured and thought-provoking. We hope farmers will watch it, too. The documentary will reveal how far the government and its agencies actually support farmers in finding effective solutions to the bTB crisis. The documentary will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from next Friday, too. For the sake of the badgers, please share. #BadgerTrust #endthecull

NE Chief Scientist’s ‘impact report’ fails to mention the impact of the badger cull on nature. Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust said, “I am not surprised the Chief Scientist has missed out Natural England’s licensed assault on nature —the badger cull — in their impact report. It hardly fits in with protecting nature. This cull has slaughtered 230,000 badgers in 11 years — the biggest assault on a native species in Britain’s history. There is an impact on the species and on wider biodiversity, so why not include that in their impact report? A senior Natural England scientist recently tried to halt the latest badger cull on the grounds it would not contribute to stopping bTB spread. This advice was overruled by bosses as they did not want to upset the agricultural lobby. What a way to treat nature in England. Wales and Scotland do not cull badgers as they are not the main cause of bTB spread - cattle are. It’s time for England to catch up and focus on the cattle, and stop killing badgers.” NE809 Chief Scientist Report >

Two Weeks to Go! Are you joining in with our National Day of Action Against the Cull on Tuesday, 3 September? Our new guide has all the information you need to take part: ⏰ when and where 📣 who you'll see 👥 how to lobby with us 🔲 what to wear >

Act now! We urgently need your support to End the Cull. Please sign and share our petition now 👇 Our deadline is approaching fast, with the petition set to be presented to Defra on 3 September. We need more names to make an impact for badgers. Don't delay, your support is crucial!