Livingstone against live exports
31 January 2000
Livingstone against live exports
By FWi staff
LONDON mayor hopeful Ken Livingstone has signed a parliamentary Early Day Motion calling for a ban on the export of live farm animals.
The motion, proposed by Gwyn Prosser, Labour MP for Dover, has been signed by a total of 94 MPs since it was launched on Friday (January 28).
It will outrage many sheep farmers, who claim that the live export trade, worth about 50 million a year, is a lifeline to their crisis-hit industry.
Former sports minister Tony Banks (Lab), former roads minister Peter Bottomley (Con) and Euro-sceptic Sir Teddy Taylor (Con) are also signatories.
Effectively, the tabling of an EDM draws attention to an issue, and elicits support by inviting other Members to add their signatures.
An EDM voicing concern that the American boxer and convicted rapist Mike Tyson was allowed into Britain was signed by 67 MPs earlier this month.
Last month, Mr Livingstone courted controversy when he said he wanted to introduce a parliamentary private members bill to ban hunting.