PHOTOCALL

Political Animals Take to The Party Bus

Animal Welfare Party candidates and supporters will take to the streets of London in an open top routemaster tomorrow (Wednesday 21st May) to help spread word of their campaign to win a seat for animal representatives for the first time ever in the EU Parliament at Thursday’s EU elections.

Supporters in animal costumes and candidates will carry balloons and streamers to create a carnival atmosphere as the bus heads from Bethnal Green through Shoreditch, Islington and Camden.

Photographers are invited to photograph the AWP party bus at 11.30am as it sets off along Hackney Road to Shoreditch.

AWP is one of 7 European animal protection parties, informally known as the Euro Animal 7, contesting the EU Parliament elections next week with the aim of sending dedicated representatives for animals to the EU Parliament for the first time ever.

AWP is standing in the London constituency. Vanessa Hudson is the party’s Lead Candidate. Other candidates include Meg Mathews and Dr. Andrew Knight, European Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. The party estimates it needs around 140,000 votes or one third of the vegetarian members of the capital’s electorate to vote for them in order to win the seat.

Supporters of the Euro Animal 7 include Paul McCartney, Nobel prize winner J M Coetzee and Maneka Gandhi.

For more information email info@animalwelfareparty.org

The Animal Welfare Party, Registered Address: PO BOX 70238, London, E2 2DF

NOTES

1 About the Animal Welfare Party

The Animal Welfare Party, formerly Animals Count, believes in a better future for people, animals and the environment. Policies are aimed at creating a fairer, more equitable and sustainable society in which the interests of the environment, people and animals are taken into account. Key policies include:

• Redirection of subsidies from livestock and fisheries farming to plant-based agriculture

• Phasing out of the failed practice of animal experimentation with binding targets for reduction and funding and support for alternatives

• Phasing out of farming practices with poor welfare consequences for animals

For information visit https://www.animalwelfareparty.org/

2 Making History for Animals in 2014

The past decade has seen the first successes in political representation for animals in the national and local governments of the Netherlands and Portugal. However, despite attempts, no animal protection party has yet succeeded in returning a representative for animals to the EU Parliament.

For information on the 6 other European animal protection parties contesting the EU elections visit www.euroanimal7.org