“Torture in a box”: Miriam Margolyes and others call for a ban on foie gras imports

Miriam Margolyes, Alesha Dixon, Mark Rylance and Jo Brand are among the famous names who signed a letter to Rishi Sunak demanding an end to foie gras imports into the UK.

The letter comes after it was reported that the government had dropped a proposed foie gras ban - not for the first time - with Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, suggesting it was not a priority.

UK farmers are already banned from making the product, created by force-feeding ducks or geese, and the ban on imports was mentioned in the government's 2021 action plan for animal welfare. But dashing campaigners' hopes, Coffey told the Telegraph ministers did not have enough time to table legislation.

In response, the letter to the Prime Minister, also signed by Paul O' Grady, Diane Morgan and Dame Twiggy Lawson, says: "Allowing the importation of foie gras goes against the values ​​held by most Britons, who categorically reject this 'torture in a box'. .. The government has 'explored' a ban for years, and ministers said in 2021 that such legislation would be introduced 'within the next few months' Yet here we are, in 2023, with no legislation in sight, so may birds continue to suffer and die. We must end UK complicity in this appalling trade."

The letter was coordinated by Animal Equality UK and Peta, who collected more than 250,000 signatures to support ir their campaigns to end the importation of foie gras made by force-feeding. A YouGov poll last year, commissioned by Animal Equality, found that 81% of British citizens polled favored a ban.

The letter, which is also among its signatories Josh Widdicombe, Sian Clifford and Peter Egan say the government should "follow the example" of King Charles, who recently banned foie gras from being served in all royal residences.

He adds: "Not only is foie gras horribly cruel, but in the midst of a cost of living crisis in which so many people are worried about how they will put food on the table , it is out of touch and frankly farcical that the government continues to prohibit the import and sale of a despicable product which costs around £95 a can." 'import foie gras and fur - which the government is also said to have abandoned - have been inc luses in the animal bill overseas before being dropped from No. 10 last year. The U-turn came after complaints from some Tory ministers at the time, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, who allegedly argued that banning certain things was "un-Tory".

Last year, the luxury department store