The UK is rapidly approaching a defining moment in its history. After the Brexit deadline (31st December 2020), EU rules will no longer apply in the UK.

As the nation rewrites its entire rulebook, we stand firm in demanding a better future for farm animals – one without cruel live exports, which the UK Government has repeatedly said it will abolish.

Increasing pressure and building momentum

We’ve been campaigning hard all year, to Ban Live Exports – urging the government to follow through on their promise to end the trade, during this crucial moment, by:

• Taking our message to the capital with print ads in The Spectator and the Evening Standard, ads at central tube stations, and a digital ad van which travelled from Uxbridge to Westminster, reaching millions across the city. We also delivered an open letter – signed by 28 of our High Profile Supporters and Visionaries – to 10 Downing Street, calling on the Prime Minister to implement a ban.
• Launching Judicial Review proceedings against the Scottish Government for permitting the transport of unweaned calves for longer than eight hours without providing milk replacement and, in most cases, water. If our court case is successful, exporting calves from Britain would become impossible in its current form – and thousands of animals every year could be spared these torturous journeys.
• Rallying our incredible High Profile Supporters and Patrons to support this year's campaign push. Celebrities including Marc Abraham, Evanna Lynch and Deborah Meaden have thrown their weight behind our work, helping us to spread the word about this horrific trade.
• Calling on our wonderful supporters from across the UK to demand #JusticeForCalves on this year’s Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day. Tweets containing the hashtag #BanLiveExports received more than 13 million views!
• Gaining coverage in the media, with an opinion piece by Peter Egan in The London Economic and articles in The Independent, The Daily Mirror, The Times, and The Herald. These stories have helped us achieve a potential reach of 193 million, allowing us to raise awareness of live exports and our upcoming court case.

A crucial moment

“2020 has been a pivotal year for our Ban Live Exports campaign, and it isn’t over yet,” says Natasha Smith, our Senior Campaigns Manager. “With our court hearing set for 8th-9th October, and Brexit on the horizon, this is a crucial moment in the fight against this cruel and unnecessary trade.”

You can read more about our Judicial Review proceedings here.

Join the fight!

If you have't already, please urge the Scottish Government to drop its opposition to our Judicial Review and lobby the UK Government to stop backing the Scottish Government's defence of live calf exports.