Dr Carol Treasure recently joined Will Young on an adventure to the Houses of Parliament, where they met Keir Starmer to talk about the current topics around animal testing. Here’s what Carol had to say:
“I’ve often written before that scientific progress can never truly be separated from politics, and I passionately believe this to be true in my own field of replacing animal testing with more scientifically and ethically advanced approaches. Thanks to Will’s connections, here we are in Keir Starmer’s office at the Houses of Parliament! A wonderful opportunity for a very productive conversation directly with Labour’s leader about current topics around animal testing, including the desperate need to divert more funding into non-animal approaches (despite being at the cutting edge of science, the field currently receives <0.5% of the national budget for R&D). We talked about the passion of the UK voters to see a better deal for animals alongside better health outcomes for humans in a rapidly changing world.
I also believe that when things are meant to be – when the time is right – doors open easily and the path ahead is clear.
So, fast forward a few short weeks, and thanks to Will’s connections, here we are in Keir Starmer’s office at the Houses of Parliament! A wonderful opportunity for a very productive conversation directly with Labour’s leader about current topics around animal testing, including the desperate need to divert more funding into non-animal approaches (despite being at the cutting edge of science, the field currently receives <0.5% of the national budget for R&D). We talked about the passion of the UK voters to see a better deal for animals alongside better health outcomes for humans in a rapidly changing world.
This is the start of a fresh chapter on our journey – one where we, with support and expert input from others, have an opportunity to take a different path, adding momentum to existing efforts and to accelerate change. A lot of us have been beating this drum for a long time. It feels the time is now and there will be big breakthroughs over the next few years. Looking forward to sharing more updates – please follow and support where you can. It’s time for better science!”
Want to find out more about animal-free testing? Read more here.
