Actress and 60s supermodel Twiggy has endorsed the Green Party manifesto on animal welfare and rights. After meeting with Green Party Deputy Mayor of London, Jenny Jones at Buckingham Palace, Twiggy wrote to Jenny totally supporting the Animal Rights section of the manifesto.
Darren Johnson, Green party mayoral candidate said, "We are delighted to have Twiggy’s support. The infliction of suffering upon animals also signals the potential to behave cruelly towards other human beings. A compassionate, respectful and responsible relationship to other sentient creatures is essential for human dignity and ultimately our quality of life."
Greens in the London Assembly have successfully implemented their call for a London animal protection officer.
The Green Party is calling for:
A GLA strategy for Animals
- An Animal Rights Protection Officer for every London Borough
- A dedicated pet shops Officer with tough standards for pet shops
- No Pet Fairs
- Cruelty -free rules on GLA purchasing
- A London-wide subsidized spaying and neutering service
- Humane, non-lethal control methods wherever possible
- Additional officers in the Wildlife Crime Unit of the Metropolitan Police
- London-wide standards to ban animal circuses
- A human tissue bank for London
- Action to end London’s fur trade
Greens in the European Parliament have been instrumental is calling for EU wide bans on factory farming, cosmetic testing and the protection of endangered species.
Recently Caroline Lucas MEP, Vice President of the Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare, was singled out for praise by a European network of animal welfare NGO’s for her commitment to animal rights and the real progress her parliamentary work has made.
Sonja Van Tichelen, Director of the Eurogroup for Animal Welfare, which includes the RSPCA said of Caroline Lucas, "Your willingness to speak on and vote for animal welfare proposals has already contributed to a considerable progress in the welfare conditions of farm, laboratory and wild animals. Your personal commitment has shown us it is possible to make a real change."
Caroline Lucas and Jean Lambert have produced a guide to their work on animal welfare issues in the European Parliament which is available from their websites.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
· Darren Johnson is 38 and was selected as the Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of London in May 2003. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 where he is Leader of the Green Party Group. He was also elected to Lewisham Council in May 2002.
· The Mayoral election will be held on June 10th at the same time as the elections for the London Assembly and the European Parliament. At the last Assembly elections the Greens scored one of their best ever results in the Party’s history, securing 11.1% of the vote across London and winning three seats on the 25-member Assembly.
· Darren Johnson’s vision for a sustainable Green London can be found on his website www.johnsonformayor.org.uk
· Jean Lambert is London’s Green Member of the European Parliament and she is No 1 on the list for the London Green Party. Her website is www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
· Green Party Assembly Members are Cllr. Darren Johnson AM, Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones AM and Noel Lynch AM