End factory farming subsidies
Redirect funding toward regenerative, higher-welfare agriculture - and give farmers a transition and time to adapt.
In my opinion, people will come to the site, curious, because they care about animals - animals should be the first thing they see!
Addressing objections is really key for gaining trust and credibility, right from the get go. I think a lot of people will assume all parties on the ballot paper are trying to win (full) power - I think it would help to immediately signal that something more modest is the goal - getting a foot in parliament so that challenges can be put directly to the governing party out in the open. This modesty and honesty creates trust and lends credence to what follows in my opinion.
We believe it's time animals had dedicated representatives in our parliaments.
Many people will arrive with nothing more than idle curiosity and a vague feeling of liking and caring about animals - in my opinion it would help to cite specific instances of the problem(s) you're trying to address. This ‘addresses the objection’ ‘why should I vote for this political party over others? What's so vital that it's worth my one vote?’
These figures are just a few examples.
The scale of the problem
Why we believe action is needed
We believe that for too long, animal welfare has not received sufficient attention in our politics. Here are some of the statistics that worry us most.
40%
Of the UK's arable land is used to grow animal feed instead of food for people
Estimate · WWF-UKI know you've addressed the single issue party question in your FAQs, but in my opinion that's buried quite deep in the site, I don't think many people will get that far. It's maybe the first and most serious objection you need to at least acknowledge, which is why I would have a space for it on the home page.
Not a single-issue party
Animal welfare is symptomatic of a wider set of problems.
We want a country where the impact on animals and the environment is considered in every kind of policy, whether it's industrial, health-related, agricultural, or just about how we choose to live - not treated as a separate concern. Farming, food and land use already touch housing, health, trade and the environment, so a serious approach to animal welfare has to engage with all of it.
I think this is a crucial objection to address - ‘Do you really expect to be the next government, if not what's the point in voting for you’
This may be addressing the same objection multiple times, but I think that's the main hurdle to someone joining or donating - ‘what's the point?’ Laying it out concisely and punchily, acknowledging that our goals aren't the same as the major parties' but still aren't frivolous or pointless, would go a long way.
How we plan to make a difference
We're not trying to form a government.
Winning a majority isn't the only way to win. Here's what we hope to achieve by standing in elections:
-
1
We put animal welfare on the ballot
When we stand a candidate, voters see our name on the ballot paper and ask other parties about animal welfare on the doorstep - so just by standing, we make that conversation happen.
-
2
Show how many people care
When a party sees it's lost hundreds of votes to an animal welfare candidate, that's something they can't ignore - either they adjust their policies to win those votes back, or they keep losing them.
-
3
Change policy without winning power
Minor parties rarely win outright, but a strong enough vote share can still change what bigger parties are willing to say and do, especially close to an election.
-
4
Continue holding them to account
We keep standing after they adopt our policies, specifically to check they didn't just say it to make us go away.
-
5
Winning a seat would change what we can do
Even one MP gets a public platform to question the government directly and hold them to account on animal welfare, on the record, in Parliament. In a close election, it could also mean real concessions in exchange for support. It's not the likely outcome, but it's not nothing.
“Won't voting for you just waste my vote?”
A vote for a party that's already ignoring animal welfare doesn't protect a single animal either - it just goes quiet in a column that was never going to move.
Ours is one of the few votes that actually does something even when we don't win the seat: it shows up in the numbers, and parties respond to numbers. That's not a consolation prize. That's the whole mechanism.
What we'd actually do
Six commitments we take into every seat we contest.
Phase out animal testing
Binding reduction targets, backed by real funding for non-animal research methods.
Sentience as a legal test
Every new bill gets checked against animal impact before it's passed, not after someone complains.
Close the hunting loopholes
End trail hunting as a legal shield, and ban the commercial racing of horses and dogs outright.
Rewilding at scale
Fund habitat restoration and species reintroduction as core infrastructure, not a side project.
Real enforcement for pets
Licensing and breeding standards for companion animals, with the inspectors funded to actually check.
FAQs
Questions people often ask us
- Is this a single-issue party?
- No. Animal welfare is why we started, but our policies also cover farming, food, health and the environment, because those are all connected to it.
- What happens if you never win a seat?
- We keep standing anyway. The point isn't forming a government, it's making animal welfare something every party has to respond to, not something only we talk about.
- How is this different from the Green Party?
- We agree with them on a lot. But animal welfare isn't guaranteed a place in any other party's platform, so we exist to make sure someone is standing on it regardless.
- Who funds you?
- Member subscriptions and donations, mostly small amounts from individual supporters. No corporate or lobby funding.
Before you join
What does membership actually mean?
- Does it affect how I vote?
- No. Your vote is always secret and always yours - membership doesn't bind it, and you're free to vote for whoever you want in an election.
- Is it a financial commitment?
- It's a small subscription, monthly or one-off, and separate from any further donations you choose to make. Cancel a monthly membership any time - there's no contract.
- What do I actually get, beyond a newsletter?
- A formal say in how the party is run - including policy and candidate selection - not just updates on what we're doing. It's more than signing up to a mailing list.
What your money funds
Every seat we contest costs money.
We're funded entirely by members and small donations - no corporate money, no state funding, no wealthy backers, and we're run almost entirely by volunteers, not staff.
The kinds of things we need money for include:
- Candidate deposits: £500 to £10,000 per election
- Leaflets, events and the basics of campaigning
If we've managed to convince you, here's how to help.
Or pay with card
or
- Account name
- Do More For Animals
- Account number
- 00 00 00 00
- Sort code
- 00-00-00
Please use ‘DONATION’ as your payment reference.
Cheques payable to ‘Do More For Animals’, posted to: Do More For Animals, PO Box 1874, London, SW1A 1AA.