Several other notable and award-winning actors, veterinarians, comedians, and sportspeople have added their signatures to urge the UK government to ban foie gras.

Harry Potter actor Miriam Margolyes has called on the UK government to ban foie gras. 

 She is joined by a number of celebrities who have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to put an end to the UK’s importation of this vile product known as “torture in a tin.” 

Peta and Animal Equality UK coordinated the letter, which was also signed by actor Peter Egan, model Twiggy, singer Alesha Dixon, and comedian Jo Brand, among others.

It comes following the government’s decision to drop the proposed foie gras ban, with the environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, suggesting it was not a priority.

In fact, at a recent National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) winter conference in Washington, DC, Coffey reiterated that “meat is still very much on my dietary plate.”

The purpose of her visit was to boost trade agreements between the UK and the US. She claimed that the agriculture industry included “caring for animals with good levels of animal husbandry” which is the “right thing to do”.

 Foie gras is ‘abysmally cruel’

The celebrity collective, however, is urging the PM to follow King Charles’ lead, who recently banned foie gras at all royal residences.

Highlighting that the force-feeding process is “abysmally cruel,” the collective urged that “we must end the UK’s complicity in this appalling trade.”

While production is illegal in the UK, the government continues to allow the import of foie gras made using this unspeakably cruel method.

“Permitting the importation of foie gras flies in the face of the values held by most Brits, who outright reject this ‘torture in a tin’, ” the letter reads.

 It adds: “Not only is foie gras horrifically cruel, but in the midst of a cost of living crisis in which so many are concerned about how they will put food on the table, it’s out of touch and frankly grotesque that the government continues to defend the import and sale of a vile product that costs around £95 a tin.”

UK government’s animal welfare policy

 A ban on the imports of foie gras and fur, which has also been scrapped, was actually part of the “action plan for animal welfare” released by the authorities in 2020.

It was reported that some Tory ministers, including Jacob Rees Mogg, opposed the legislation on the grounds that it was “un-Conservative” and would “limit personal choice” of the consumer.

However, foie gras has been out of flavour for the vast majority of Brits.  A YouGov poll commissioned by Animal Equality in 2022 found that 86% of UK citizens opposed force-feeding animals, and 81% supported a ban.

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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