Yesterday Lynne Featherstone reaffirmed the reaffirmation she made on the 29th March 2011 of the government's pledge to ban the use of animal testing in the making of household products. VP awaits concrete action, but is not holding her breath.
The initial pledge, made in the coalition's 2010 programme for government was taken from the Lib Dem Manifesto, and is the only one of three pledges therein to have made its way into the coalition programme. Given the general reluctance of the Conservatives to engage in animal welfare (compared to the other main parties, Tory MPs have shown the least support for animal protection EDMs), it seems unrealistic to expect any quick movement on the testing ban, although it is an obvious and uncontroversial move. I suspect many people would be surprised that a practice that has been banned in the production of cosmetics is still officially acceptable in the production of washing-up liquid.
It turns out there are ethical products that can be identified by a 'leaping bunny' logo. Ever heard of it? Thought not. The brands associated with the BUAV 'Cleaning up Cruelty' campeign (2008) can be found on their website, but not in any supermarket I have ever been to. Admittedly this is because I have only ever been to Tesco (the Co-operative and Marks and Spencer are predictably virtuous) but then, I am a woman of the people.
And there is a benighted minority who don't go to expensive supermarkets, or moniter ill-publicised Home Office statements. Animal rights, as an ethical issue, is less prevalent than it seems, and vivisection more so. The recherche nature of the brands that have voluntarily opted out of the use of animal testing, or ingredients whose production involves it, reflects the problem with consumer-led morality: going about your business without unknowingly propogating cruelty and exploitation involves more money and research than most can spare. Especially over such an unglamorous issue as household cleaning.
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