Release date: Tuesday 20 May 2014

PHOTOCALL

Political Animals Go To Vote

Vanessa Hudson, leader of the Animal Welfare Party, will be stepping out to her local polling station to cast her vote in Thursday’s EU elections, accompanied by supporters in animal costumes, family and friends.

Photographers are invited to photograph her entering the polling station at

9am on Thursday 22 May at Hague Primary School Polling Station, Wilmot Street, E2 0BP(nearest tube station Bethnal Green).

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 contact Media on 07759704073 or 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