More EU bull

[Gob]

British taxpayers are forking out £13.5million a year to pay for EU subsidies for bullfighting in Spain, it has been revealed.

Spanish farmers receive the handouts for breeding the animals killed in the controversial sport as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Politicians are calling for Prime Minister David Cameron to refuse to make the payments immediately.

Labour’s Sir Alan Meale has tabled a Commons motion that says: ‘Bullfighting for fiestas is abhorrent as it involves the torture of animals in public display.’

The MP for Mansfield said it was ‘bizarre’ the Government is even contemplating paying for this and said ‘bullfighting is the last thing in the world we should be subsidising’.

He said the practice flies in the face of Britain’s own Animal Welfare Act 2006 and of the European Convention on animals kept for farming purposes, which specifically states that animals should not suffer pain, injury or distress.

‘Such financial allocations are a clear violation of these laws.’

The motion ‘calls on the Government to immediately cease such payments forthwith’.

The EU allocates £110million of CAP money each year to Spanish farmers who use their pastures to rear fighting bulls.

An EU report claimed the subsidy kept the practice going and said: ‘Without such backing bullfighting would probably be on the brink of financial collapse.’

Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler said: ‘The idea that taxpayers across Europe are subsidising bullfighting is deeply offensive and Animal Aid certainly backs any political moves to put paid to this disgusting scheme.’

Ralph Cook of the Wales Alliance Against Cruel Sports said: ‘If the Government wants to save money with the support of the British people they could save that proportion of our money that would go towards rearing bulls for bullfighting.

‘They would probably get a pat on the back from most of the British public.’

The Common Agricultural Policy subsidises farmers across the EU’s 28 member states. Critics have argued it is outdated and called for it to be axed.

[Sue U]

the Wales Alliance Against Cruel Sports

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