The UK government, now under the Labour Party, is once again under fire for manipulating science to justify the controversial badger cull, a policy that has led to the mass killing of badgers in an attempt to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. A new review of the bTB policy, launched in January, has been exposed as anything but independent. Instead, it’s being led by the same individuals who have long defended the badger cull, raising serious concerns about bias and conflicts of interest.
The review, overseen by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and led by Minister Daniel Zeichner, was supposed to examine the latest evidence on bTB control. However, the panel is stacked with pro-cull academics, including Professor Charles Godfray from Oxford University, who played a key role in justifying the badger cull in 2018. Another panelist, Oxford statistician Bernard Silverman, is set to review his own university’s work, a clear breach of scientific independence. The BTB Partnership, which oversees the review, is also dominated by livestock industry figures and cull advocates, making impartial decision-making nearly impossible.
This latest review appears to be less about evaluating the science and more about maintaining the status quo. Since 2013, over 230,000 badgers have been slaughtered in England under the cull policy, despite independent research showing that it has failed to control bTB in cattle. Instead of heeding this evidence, DEFRA continues to rely on the same insiders who created and defended the policy in the first place.
Wildlife campaign group Protect the Wild has launched a petition demanding the removal of Professor Godfray and other conflicted panel members, calling for a genuinely independent review. Rob Pownall, founder of Protect the Wild, stated:
“This is yet another rigged review designed to rubber-stamp the killing of badgers. DEFRA is once again allowing a group of pro-cull insiders to dominate the debate, ensuring that independent voices are silenced. We demand that Charles Godfray step down immediately, and that the entire panel is replaced with truly impartial experts. The public will not accept another sham review.”
Despite Labour’s promises to follow the science, the party has allowed badger culling to continue in so-called Low Risk Areas, bowing to pressure from DEFRA officials who expanded the cull under the Conservatives. This has left many wildlife advocates and the public disillusioned, as the government appears to be prioritizing industry interests over scientific evidence and animal welfare.
Protect the Wild is urging the public to take action by signing their petition, writing to Minister Daniel Zeichner to demand transparency, and sharing the story to expose the biased panel. Earlier this year, public pressure forced the government to scrap a flawed consultation on badger culling under Rishi Sunak. The group believes that similar pressure can stop this sham review and prevent the continuation of a failed and cruel policy.
The badger cull has long been a contentious issue, with critics arguing that it is ineffective, inhumane, and driven by political and industry interests rather than science. As the review process unfolds, the question remains: will the government finally listen to the evidence and the public, or will it continue to justify the mass killing of badgers under the guise of disease control? The fight for an independent, science-based approach to bTB control is far from over, and public pressure may be the key to forcing real change.
