YORKSHIRE EVENING POST
30 June 2015 by Joseph Keith
Morley MP Andrea Jenkyns has joined forces with rock royalty to fight for animal rights.
Queen lead guitarist Brian May met Ms Jenkyns last week to discuss fox hunting in the UK. The pair have now pledged to work together to battle for animal rights in parliament.
Ms Jenkyns said she was “delighted” to be working with Brian to fight for the cause. She said: “It was great meeting Brian and we had a very productive chat. We spoke about politics and our shared love of music, but the main focus of the meeting was on what we can both do to champion animal rights here in parliament. I was delighted when Brian and his team got in contact with me and we will be working together over the course of this government to fight for this issue.”
The pair are now organising an event in Westminster next week to teach other MPs about the effects of fox hunting.
Ms Jenkyns said she will vote against any legislation to repeal the 2004 Hunting Act. The law, which came into force in 2005, bans the hunting of wild mammals including foxes, deer and hares with dogs.
Ms Jenkyns added: “During the recent election I campaigned on this issue and I do not agree that hunting with dogs is a humane method of controlling fox numbers.”
Rock legend Brian runs his own animal rights charity, Save Me Trust, named after the Queen song that he penned. The charity campaigns for the protection of all animals against unnecessary, cruel and degrading treatment. It also aims to prevent foxes being hunted and the culling of badgers.
Brian was appointed vice-president of animal welfare charity the RSPCA in 2012.
In 2013, he teamed up with actor Brian Blessed, Flash cartoonist Jonti Picking and the RSPCA to form Team Badger – a group of organisations that fight the culling of badgers.