MP honoured for animal welfare stance

10.53.55am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Jun 2010

John Leech MP being awarded the PAD certificate on College Green

Manchester Withington MP, John Leech has been honoured for his commitment to tackling cruelty to animals. The Protecting Animals in Democracy (PAD) project has presented John with a Certificate in recognition of his full support for their VOTE4ANIMALS 2010 manifesto in the run-up to the May General Election.

John was presented with the certificate on College Green outside parliament this morning.

The manifesto included policies such as support for the hunting ban, the abolition of battery cages and reducing the number of animals that suffer in experiments.

John Leech MP said:

'I am very pleased to be awarded the Protecting Animals in Democracy Certificate. Cruelty to animals is a shame on our society and our political system needs to do more to protect animals from abuse. I am dedicated to representing the many constituents who write to me about animal welfare problems. Many animals suffer because of political decisions, so I believe it is vital to speak up for these voiceless victims.'

PAD's Dr Dan Lyons said:

'The way we treat animals is a fundamental indication of the state of our society. [..] MP's support for compassionate politics is, therefore, a sign that they have the character and ethics much needed to stand in Parliament and help enhance the integrity of our political system.

We look forward to working with John Leech and other conscientious representatives to build a truly fair society where our fellow animals are treated as individual beings worthy of respect.'