After more than a decade and over 230,000 badgers culled under England’s controversial policy to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB), the government has confirmed it will end the practice by 2025. This decision follows growing pressure from campaigners, scientists, and MPs demanding a science-led, non-lethal approach to disease management.
During an emotionally charged Westminster Hall debate on October 13, MPs heard calls to halt badger culling immediately and shift focus to enhanced cattle testing, improved farm biosecurity, and vaccination efforts for both badgers and cattle. The debate was sparked by a public petition with more than 102,000 signatures, organized by Robert Pownall of Protect the Wild, urging an end to culling.
Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle announced that only one industry-led cull licence would remain active after this season, targeting a low-risk rural hotspot. By the 2025 season’s end, culling will cease in all high-intensity and edge areas. The government plans to replace killing with a comprehensive strategy aimed at eradicating bTB in England by 2038. This strategy includes mass vaccination programs and enhanced surveillance measures jointly designed with farmers, veterinarians, scientists, and conservationists, incorporating insights from the 2023 Godfray Review update.
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The debate highlighted widespread criticism of culling as ineffective and cruel. Labour MP Irene Campbell emphasized that badgers, native to the British Isles for over 250,000 years, have been wrongfully targeted. She cited evidence that 94% of bovine TB cases arise from cow-to-cow transmission, referencing Scotland’s successful eradication of bTB without culling. She further noted the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (1998-2005) suggested culling might exacerbate TB spread by dispersing infected badgers.
MPs from rural constituencies spoke of bovine TB’s devastating financial and emotional toll on farming families. Liberal Democrat Sarah Dyke shared stories of farms forced to close following suspected TB outbreaks, criticizing the inadequacy of current compensation and testing systems. The debate underscored calls for improved diagnostics, with MPs such as Caroline Voaden and Gideon Amos pushing for enhanced biosecurity advice and better disease detection, supported by expert findings highlighting deficiencies in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) testing protocols.
Andrew George MP referenced a 2021 University of Cambridge study showing that TB transmission among cattle is far more prevalent than badger-to-cattle transmission. He urged faster development of the DIVA test, which can distinguish between vaccinated and infected cattle—a technology that has long been delayed. Minister Eagle confirmed ongoing field trials for cattle BCG vaccines and the DIVA test, expressing cautious optimism about their potential rollout within a few years.
Regarding badger vaccination, over 4,000 badgers were inoculated in 2024, with plans to expand vaccination coverage through a new field force in 2025. A 30% vaccination rate in badger populations has been identified as effective in reducing TB incidence.
Several MPs pointed to successful non-lethal TB control methods employed elsewhere. Wales, for example, achieved similar reductions in bovine TB without widespread culling. Other examples, including Southern Ireland’s policy reversal, suggest culling is not the only path forward. Innovative on-farm eradication projects like Gatcombe Farm in Devon have demonstrated the critical role of detecting and controlling infection within cattle herds.
Summarizing, Minister Eagle reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending badger culling, scaling up vaccination, advancing cattle vaccine development, and strengthening surveillance and biosecurity. The forthcoming eradication strategy promises a balanced approach designed to protect wildlife, reduce disease spread, and support farming communities, with TB-free status targeted by 2038.