London Let’s Lead
Vote Vanessa Hudson for Mayor of London and Vote AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election to help shape a London that leads the world – not only for people but for animals and the environment too.
“Our capital has a proud history of leading progress. But our global society now battles crises of health, climate and biodiversity – due, in part, to our unequal relationship with the natural world.
Emerging from the pandemic, we face a choice; continue on the path that brought us here or forge a new way. I know London can lead the world in a new direction, acting as a beacon of innovation & healthy, sustainable, compassionate living.
Let’s consign speciesism, sexism, racism and exploitation of nature to the past – so that health & opportunity belong to all – young & old, human & non human.”
Vanessa Hudson – AWP Candidate for Mayor of London and Lead Candidate AWP London-wide Assembly Election
Vanessa’s 7 Point Plan for a London that Leads:
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- Push for carbon net zero status for London by 2025
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- Improve health, save NHS funds, protect the planet & help prevent future pandemics by promoting plant-based diets across the capital
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- Incentivise public transport use, demand increased funding from Government to ensure affordability, reliability & safety – improving air quality
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- Better protect London’s 9 million+ animals by creating an Animal Welfare Committee within the London Assembly
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- Prioritise the creation of sustainable & affordable homes for all
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- Foster a culture where speciesism is rejected – with wildlife managed non lethally, the sale of foie gras & fur in our shops discouraged, lobsters no longer boiled alive in our restaurants & where animal-free testing in London’s universities and scientific institutions is championed
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- Celebrate & expand London’s biodiversity, ending the use of pesticides & creating more space for nature to flourish & take centre stage
Use your vote to show you believe in a fairer, healthier & brighter future for all:
Make Vanessa Hudson your first vote in the London Mayoral Election
Vote Animal Welfare Party in the London-wide Assembly Election
Leading for People, Animals & Planet – our policies in further detail:
AWP believes in a fairer world for people, animals and the environment – and that these ideas are related not separate.
London can and should lead the world in animal welfare. We also know that intensive animal farming and fishing is a major contributor to environmental degradation and climate change – while acting with integrity on animal welfare can have numerous positive benefits for our planet and human health. We see real opportunities across London to create a fairer, healthier future for all. Our vision includes:
- Pushing for carbon net zero status for London by 2025 – so that London does everything it can to prevent irreversible global warming and climate change
- Actively encouraging the concept of personal carbon quotas
- Improving the health of Londoners, saving vital NHS funds, protecting the environment and helping prevent future pandemics by promoting healthy plant-based diets across the capital
- Championing the introduction of sustainable, plant-based options on every menu and at every meal in London’s schools, nurseries, care homes and hospitals
- Standing against the importation of grain and soya as animal feed from cleared rainforest land
- Encouraging investment and research into replacing animal farming as a source of proteins in food production
- Tackling obesity and increasing the life expectancy of London’s schoolchildren by working to restrict licences for fast food establishments close to schools
- Vastly incentivising public transport use, demanding increased funding from central government to ensure genuine affordability, reliability & safety – thereby reducing the number of private vehicles on the road and improving air quality
- Increasing the percentage of the TFL network’s energy demand obtained from renewable power
- Extending the ULEZ beyond Inner London
- Making the creation of sustainable and affordable homes an absolute priority and encouraging better use of existing housing stock
- Rethinking procurement policy so that, across the GLA family, public funds are not spent on foods, drinks, cleaning and household products that have a negative effect on human health, the environment or animal welfare – here or anywhere else in the world
- Celebrating & expanding London’s biodiversity, pushing to end the use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers in London’s municipal spaces whilst creating more space for nature to flourish & take centre stage – and more opportunities for Londoners to understand, engage with, protect and enhance the nature around them
- Encouraging re-wilding across London – from Epping Forest to private gardens
- Pushing for ring-fenced funding for and rigorous enforcement of littering and dumping across the capital so that our streets, parks, reserves and green spaces can be enjoyed by all
- Prioritising cleaning up the Thames of plastic, sewage and debris to encourage species to return
- Creating a culture where speciesism is proudly rejected and cruel activities are discouraged – including the sale of both foie gras and fur products across London, the boiling alive of lobsters and crustaceans in our restaurants, the selling of live animals in our pet stores and the exhibiting of captive animals in London’s zoos and aquaria
- Championing the phasing out of experimentation on hundreds of thousands of animals each year at London’s universities – with real support for the development of world leading alternatives and a Mayor’s Award for Innovation in this field
- Humane (non lethal) management of London’s fox, deer and other wildlife populations
- Discouraging the use of police horses at demonstrations and public events where those animals could be exposed to violence, harm or distress
- Promoting London’s animal-product-free and sustainable economy with festivals, events and incentives for businesses operating without harm to animals and the environment
- Incentives for shops and businesses reducing food waste
- Introducing a London-wide pet abandonment prevention plan – taking in public education and expectation management on animal ownership, improving access to animal health care & spaying and neutering, promoting the re-homing of existing animals over the breeding of new animals
- Respect for and understanding of the human / animal bond and ‘cradle to grave’ ethos of good pet stewardship pushing for vastly increased provision for companion animals in social housing developments and the private rented sector
- Pushing to end the sale of animals online
- Lobbying for the replacement of the Dangerous Dogs Act and introducing a London wide plan to target irresponsible owners who deliberately train animals to fight and attack
- Working to protect animals in London’s entertainment and sports industries with a plan for the phasing out of greyhound and horse-racing in the capital
- Funding and support for city farms to operate as animal sanctuaries where animals are not sent to slaughter
- Championing the introduction of independently monitored CCTV in London slaughterhouses
- Promoting education on animal rights and care in London’s schools and working for all schools to be vegan inclusive with activities such as classroom hatching projects a thing of the past
- Striving for joined-up thinking across the capital on recycling and re-use with the aim of making London a world example of recycling best practice
- Encouraging the development of vertical farms within London
- Reopening Hammersmith Bridge as a pedestrian, cycle and public transport only bridge
- Opposing HS2, the Silvertown Tunnel and a third runway at Heathrow Airport
- Supporting the Introduction of a frequent flyer levy to reduce the number of flights taken from the UK
About our London Mayoral & Assembly Candidates
Vanessa Hudson – AWP Candidate for Mayor of London and Lead Candidate for AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election
Leader of AWP since 2010, Vanessa believes that protecting our planet and ending speciesism are the two great moral imperatives of our time.
A Producer in the media industry by profession, Vanessa was born in Sheffield, and grew up in Nottinghamshire. She studied English and Communication Studies at the University of Liverpool before moving to London by way of Hong Kong and Sydney.
Vanessa is passionate about setting positive examples of animal and planet-friendly, plant-based lifestyles. She has followed a vegan diet for the past 26 years. In 2006, Vanessa was a founding member of Vegan Runners UK and later became the club’s Press Secretary.
Vanessa joined Animals Count / AWP in 2009, taking over the leadership from Jasmijn De Boo in 2010. Vanessa enjoys working with other animal parties from around the world and takes great encouragement from the successes many of them are enjoying at local, national and EU Parliament level.
Sam Morland – Candidate for AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election
Sam Morland has lived in London since he was a child and following stints in France, Switzerland and the US, he returned to the UK and has lived in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for over 20 years. He is a sports fan and enjoys learning languages – being reasonably proficient in French and currently studying Japanese. Professionally he has worked in the fund management industry, where he set up his own business. He believes that the mistreatment of animals in our society is an issue that should be addressed at a political level.
Previous elections contested for AWP:
2016 London Assembly Election (Candidate, London-wide election)
2019 EU Parliament Election (Candidate, London Region)
2019 General Election – Kensington and Chelsea Constituency
Alex Bourke – Candidate for AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election
A founder member and former vice-chair of AWP, Alex has a degree in mathematics, a masters in computer systems, and was formerly a chartered engineer working for multinationals, before setting up the publishing company Vegetarian Guides in 1998 to publish vegan books. His latest books are Vegan London Complete, and for new vegans The Vegan Guide – everything you need to embrace the world’s fastest growing way of life.
Alex is a former director, chair and national media spokesperson for The Vegan Society and is experienced in explaining and debating animal and vegan issues in all national media. He believes in finding ways forward where everyone wins: consumers, farmers, animals and the planet.
Previous elections contested for AWP:
2009 European Parliament Elections (Candidate, Eastern Region)
2014 EU Parliament Elections (Candidate, London Region)
2016 London Assembly Election (Candidate, London-wide election)
Femy Amin – Candidate for AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election
Femy Amin is a pharmacist by profession and has specialised in mental health. She contributes to the community through her work with the elderly and the homeless. Femy spent five months in Pakistan in 2010 to help with the flood relief efforts, and visited Afghan refugee camps in 2005 where she contributed to the efforts of expanding education provision for children.
Femy has campaigned against live animal transport, inhumane farming practices, hunting, and has volunteered as a steward and a first-aider during environmental and animal rights protests.
Femy believes in creating a fairer society for all – people, animals and a sustainable planet. At a time when entire species of animals are being wiped out as a result of human pressure, and the number of animals in factory farms continues to grow, all whilst we are at the brink of climate disaster, she believes now is the time to speak up. Femy is therefore standing to represent Animal Welfare Party, as she says AWP is the only party that are moving beyond recognition of these problems, to having the commitment of working within the political system to drive the positive shift needed in reducing animal suffering while at the same time improving public health, and our impact on the environment.
Previous elections contested for AWP:
2019 General Election – Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner
Mark Scott – Candidate for AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election
Mark Scott is a teacher who has lived and worked in London for the last ten years.
Mark believes in a fairer society for animals, people and the planet. He joined the Animal Welfare Party in 2020 after feeling disillusioned that no other political party in the UK recognises the mistreatment of animals. He believes that there must be political representation for those who wish to ensure animals are treated fairly.
Julian Weisman – Candidate for AWP in the London-wide Assembly Election
Born and raised in North London, Julian Weisman is a passionate believer in animal rights. He has been a Member of Animal Welfare Party for 10 years and has supported several previous election campaigns as a volunteer along with membership and support of several animal charities.
AWP’s Campaign for the GLA Elections
Due to the pandemic, AWP’s campaign for the London Elections will mostly take place online.
To vote in the London GLA Elections, you must be registered to vote by 19th April.
Voters may vote by postal vote in the weeks preceding election day or in polling booths on Thursday 6th May.
If you are planning to vote by post you must apply for a postal vote by 5pm on Tuesday 20 April.
To find out more about registering to vote by post, please visit:
electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voting-person-post-or-proxy/voting-post
Follow our social channels to stay up to date with latest activities and help spread the word by sharing our posts with your networks.
Follow us on facebook:
Animal Welfare Party – facebook.com/Animal.Welfare.Party
Vanessa Hudson – facebook.com/vhhudson
Follow us on twitter:
Animal Welfare Party @AnimalsCount
Vanessa Hudson @vanessahhudson
Follow us on instagram:
Animal Welfare Party animal_welfare_party_uk
Get involved further:
To further get involved and stay up to date with Animal Welfare Party’s activities please consider taking one of the actions below:
Become a Member
Become a Registered Supporter
Donate to Animal Welfare Party
Thank you for your interest in helping us speak up for people, animals and the environment in the political sphere.
