A new councillor is to call for a ban on the sale of fur and perhaps even leather on council-owned land in her maiden speech next week.
Labour councillor Theresa Fowler believes people are buying real fur thinking the item is synthetic from public markets.
She is putting the case for a ban on fur sales to the Full Council on Thursday 24 October – and to look into extending the policy to leather.
Councillor Fowler, who was elected to represent Hollingdean and Stanmer ward earlier this year, is asking for the authority’s Policy and Resources Committee to consider banning sales of items made of or trimmed with real fur on council-owned land and at council-run or leased markets.
The ban would also cover vintage fur, shawls, trims, fur pompom hats, accessories and trinkets.
In a notice of motion going before the council she said: “The United Kingdom has outlawed the farming of animals for their fur on ethical grounds since 2000 and that the use of one of the most common traps used to catch animals for their fur has been illegal for many years.
“Nonetheless fur products are imported from overseas nations, particularly China, where such bans do not operate and where there is virtually no animal welfare legislation in force.
“Real fur comes from animals raised in deplorable conditions or trapped in the wild and killed inhumanely.
“Regrettably these products are often found for sale on public markets in the UK and customers can inadvertently buy them thinking they are synthetics.”
Councillor Fowler wants the authority to support the Fur Free Markets campaign and sign up to it.
Her motion is seconded by fellow Labour councillor Anne Pissaridou.
So what would hsppen to leather shoes, handbags, gloves, briefcases, etc., all of which are widely sold in shops and markets many of which will be on council owned land? As for fur, it should be down to the individual to decide what they’re buying. Why are they are willing to buy artificial fur (which nowadays can look quite like real) if they don’t want to be seen wearing furry clothes?
I would also question whether the council hasn’t got more pressing matters to attend to without going off on personal projects. This country seems to have enough career politicians who don’t really care about running the country, city, town for the good of the residents so long as their own profile is raised.
So Cllr Fowler no doubt has the support of the Extinction Rebellion supporters who like to wear lots of plastics and other synthetics.
fur-gods-sake!! but if she put this in her manifesto, then so be it….
Plastic fur will ultimately kill far more than the animals harvested for the real thing. While you at it why not ban meat, that to is farmed.
Choice to utilise fur is personal to each individual same as eating meat and information as to origin etc should be included with any animal product so those choices are better informed.
Why do we waste money on councillors that don’t or cant think things through in logical and practical ways and waste tax payers money on unrealistic vanity projects.
What about fur and leather produced as a byproduct of the meat industry?
I do wish councillors could focus on meeting the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors rather than pushing their own personal activist agendas
Perhaps the Labour councillors could get back to fulfilling what they promised in their manifesto – especially the proper park-and-ride?