As the main political parties launch their election campaigns, Labour has promised to end the  “inhumane and ineffective” badger cull pilots, which are due to run for two more years in the South-West.

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The commitment was made as part of a Pledge for Animals unveiled by the Labour Party this week, ahead of the general election in May. The pledge comes ten years after the introduction of the Hunting Act, which the Conservatives have suggested they may repeal if they are reelected.  

The badger cull is part of the coalition government’s response to bovine TB in England, though the Welsh government has opted not to pursue culling.  

After the first year of badger culling in 2013, the pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire were deemed to have failed on the grounds of humanness and effectiveness. Though independent experts were critical of the culls, the pilots continued last year - this time without independent oversight - and the Gloucestershire cull company missed its targets once more, though in Somerset markspeople narrowly met their reduced cull targets.   

Labour’s policy commitments, announced on Wednesday, could prove effective in the run-up to the election, as a recent Ipsos Mori poll found that 14% of British voters see animal welfare as an issue that would determine their vote.

Commenting on the pledge, Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International UK, said, “A Party’s policies for animals - who are voiceless and so vulnerable to exploitation and suffering - tell you something very fundamental about its core ethics.

“We urge all Parties to make acting for animals a priority, and encourage voters to ask their candidates for their views on animal welfare. Whether it’s ending suffering in circuses, laboratories, zoos, farms, or in the wild, animal welfare is a vote winner, and badgers will matter at the ballot box.”

Other commitments in the Labour Party’s welfare manifesto include maintaining and strengthening the ban on hunting with dogs and tackling cruelty on shooting estates.

Reacting on Wednesday, NFU president Meurig Raymond accused Labour of using the badger cull as a "Political football."