Animal Welfare Party (AWP) is a minor political party in the United Kingdom campaigning on an animal welfare, environment and health platform.Animal Welfare Party website: Vision
History The party was founded in December 2006 by Jasmijn de Boo, a Dutch national, of Kennington, London, and Shaun Rutherford of Milford Haven, Wales, as Animals Count!"Activists welcome animal rights party", BBC News, 3 December 2006 The party was registered with the Electoral Commission on 22 January 2007.Electoral Commission: Animal Welfare Party registration (Reference PP616l)
In October 2010, Vanessa Hudson was elected as party leader. In 2013, the party changed its name from Animals Count! to the Animal Welfare Party.Animal Welfare Party website: About
In June 2013, Hudson joined leaders from other animal protection parties from across Europe in a meeting in The Hague organised by the Animal Politics Foundation of the Netherlands.Partij voor de Dieren, Worldlog week 24 – 2013 At this meeting the animal protection parties of the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Turkey and the UK discussed ways in which they could work together more effectively. Later that month, Hudson announced that the Animal Welfare Party would stand in the London region in the 2014 European Parliament elections. It was one of seven European animal protection parties contesting the 2014 European elections with the aim of returning dedicated representatives for animals to the EU Parliament.Animal Welfare Party website: 2014 EU Elections This European group of parties became known informally as the EuroAnimal7 and included PvdD of The Netherlands, PACMA of Spain, PAN of Portugal, Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz of Germany, Djurens Parti of Sweden, and Animal Party Cyprus.
In September 2017, the party gained its first elected representative after Alsager Town Councillor Jane Smith defected from the Green Party to the AWP.
In January 2024, the party gained a second representative after Hexham Town Councillor Lee Williscroft-Ferris, who had been elected as an independent, switched to the party.
Ideology The party's main goal is "a world in which animals are not exploited and are seen and treated as sentient beings". It describes itself as "primarily dedicated to advancing the rights of all non-human animals" and as "modelled on the successful Dutch Party for the Animals". It also postulates left-wing economic policies outside of animal issues; it advocates a 50% tax rate for those earning more than £150,000, in 2018 supported an increase of the minimum wage to £10 per hour, and supports reducing the private sector in housing in favour of the public sector.
Electoral history It initially intended to stand in the Welsh Assembly election in 2007. In the 2008 London Assembly election, de Boo stood in Lambeth and Southwark, receiving 1,828 votes (1.12%). The party sponsored an electoral list of three candidates for the 2009 European Parliament election in the East of England, receiving 13,201 votes (0.8%).
In the 2010 United Kingdom general election, the party contested one seat, which it did not win. The party sponsored an electoral list of eight candidates for the 2014 European Parliament election in the London region, receiving 21,092 votes (1.0%). Four AWP candidates contested the 2015 general election, all losing their deposits. They stood in the 2016 London Assembly election, receiving 1% of the vote. They stood four candidates in the 2017 general election and six in the 2019 general election: none were elected. They stood again in the 2021 and 2024 London Assembly elections, receiving 1.7% of the vote both times.
Elections contested Parliamentary elections General election, 6 May 2010 Note: Standing as "Animals Count" Constituency Candidate Votes % Islington South and Finsbury Richard Deboo 149 0.3Election 2010 - Islington South & Finsbury, BBC News. Accessed 12 May 2015. General election, 7 May 2015 Constituency Candidate Votes % Hackney North and Stoke Newington Jon Homan 225 0.5Election 2015 - Ealing Southall, BBC News. Accessed 12 May 2015. Holborn and St Pancras Vanessa Hudson 173 0.3Election 2015 - Holborn & St Pancras, BBC News. Accessed 12 May 2015. Kensington Andrew Knight 158 0.5Election 2010 - Kensington, BBC News. Accessed 12 May 2015. Putney Guy Dessoy 184 0.4Election 2015 - Putney, BBC News. Accessed 12 May 2015. Scottish Parliament election, 5 May 2016 Region Votes % Glasgow 1,819 0.1 General election, 8 June 2017 Constituency Candidate Votes % Hackney North and Stoke Newington Jon Homan 222 0.4 Hackney South and Shoreditch Vanessa Hudson 226 0.4 Lewisham Deptford Laura McAnea 225 0.4 Maidenhead Andrew Knight 282 0.5 General election, 12 December 2019 Constituency Candidate Votes % Bethnal Green and Bow Vanessa Hudson 4390.7 Chelsea and Fulham Sam Morland 5001.1 Congleton Jane Smith 6581.1 Kingswood Angelika Cowell 4891.0 New Forest East Andrew Knight 6751.3 Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Femy Amin 3250.6
Scottish Parliament election, 6 May 2021 Region Votes % Lothian 2,392 0.6
European Parliament elections 2009 European elections Note: Standing as "Animals Count" Regional lists Candidates Votes % MEPs East of England 13,201 0.8 0European Election 2009: East of England, BBC News Accessed 12 May 2015. 2014 European elections Regional lists Candidates Votes % MEPs London 21,092 1.0 0Vote 2014 - London, BBC News Accessed 12 May 2015. 2019 European elections Regional lists Candidates Votes % MEPs London Vanessa HudsonJane SmithSam MorlandRanjan JoshiMina Da RuiJonathan HomanSimon Gouldman 25,232 1.1 0
See also Animal welfare in the United Kingdom Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation List of animal advocacy parties
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