Following the action by animal rights protestors at Muller’s Stonehouse factory on Sunday, Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie hit out at the Animal Rebellion group, telling them to “grow up”.
Ms Baillie said: “The public is fed up with protesters disrupting everyday life to get publicity and force their opinions on others. Their behaviour costs the taxpayer millions and wastes precious police time too so it’s no way to win an argument. They should just grow up and stop playing games with people’s lives and livelihoods.”
A spokesperson for Animal Rebellion responded, saying: “Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie asks what planet we’re living on. The answer is a planet that is facing unprecedented heatwaves in the UK, devastating flooding in Pakistan, along with many other extreme weather events. Nearly 70 per cent of the UK public wants the governments to move faster on climate action – so our cause has broad support from the public [see link here].
“Farming and fishing communities have been facing a cost-of-living crisis for years. The combination of the government’s lack of understanding of the struggles that farmers face, the labour crisis, soaring raw material costs, and now unmanaged energy prices leaves these communities exposed and in need of support more than ever before.
“Animal Rebellion’s solutions-focussed demands of the government are to protect those most affected by the climate, animal and cost-of-living crises. The government should be supporting the British public through these difficult times instead of blindly leading us into climate catastrophe. Rather than spending £1.5 billion in subsidies on propping up big meat and dairy companies, the government should be supporting farming and fishing communities to transition to plant-based farming, as well as supporting people with their energy bills.
“Plant-based milk is not only the best option for the planet, but it is also affordable and eliminates the exploitation of animals. An industry-wide transition to plant-based milk is essential if we’re to stay below 1.5°C and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
“Animal Rebellion is a nonviolent organisation, and we only take action using peaceful and nonviolent tactics. We primarily target the UK government and big businesses and want to work together with farming and fishing communities and the public to speed up a just transition.”
