Ban on fur and foie gras imports dropped, environment secretary suggests

Sunak government reassessing ‘priorities’, says Therese Coffey on animal welfare measure

Environment secretary Therese Coffey claims her department is ‘the voice of the countryside’ (PA)

Rishi Sunak’s government has dropped a proposed ban on importing fur and foie gras, environment secretary Therese Coffey has suggested, as she claims she wants to be the “voice of the countryside”.

The cabinet minister has said that while animal welfare is important, the government must “think through priorities” with limited time to push through legislation.

While fur farming and the production of foie gras – a paté made from the livers of force-fed ducks or geese – are currently illegal in the UK, campaigners say large quantities of both commodities continue to enter the country each year.