Queen’s Brian May chooses to resign as RSPCA vice president.
- Allegations of welfare issues at ‘RSPCA Assured’ farms prompt his decision.
- May shares his dissatisfaction on social media, advocating for the program’s end.
- Evidence shows misconduct in over 40 farms under the certification.
- Public debate sparked, involving celebrities and RSPCA officials.
In a surprising turn of events, Queen guitarist Brian May announced his resignation as vice president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). This decision stems from revelations of serious animal welfare violations at farms certified under the ‘RSPCA Assured’ label, an initiative aimed at guaranteeing high animal welfare standards across nearly 4,000 farms in supermarkets.
May highlighted alarming practices such as overcrowding, inadequate hygiene, and physical mistreatment of animals by farm workers. After extensive contemplation, he concluded that the scheme, which includes participation from major supermarkets such as Aldi, Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco, is fundamentally flawed. Unable to support these operations any longer, May took to Instagram to communicate his resignation, stating, “It is with profound sadness and not without massive soul-searching that today I have to offer my resignation as a vice-president of the RSPCA.”
Further intensifying the situation, May criticized the RSPCA’s response to these complaints as insufficient. Despite acknowledging the organization’s need for time to assess the evidence, the increasing amount of incriminatory findings compelled him to call for an overhaul of the scheme.
Animal activist groups also disclosed results from their investigations into over 200 ‘RSPCA Assured’ farms, which corroborated the allegations, leading them to urge RSPCA president Chris Packham to resign. In contrast, Packham, with vice-president Caroline Lucas, expressed their stance against immediate resignation, advocating instead for a complete and independent review before deciding the initiative’s fate.
This controversy has garnered widespread attention, with public figures like Ricky Gervais, Bryan Adams, and Joanna Lumley joining the calls for the program’s discontinuation. The allegations have ignited a pivotal debate over the ethical and operational standards of a certification intended to promote humane farming practices.
The unfolding scandal underscores the need for transparency and accountability in animal welfare certifications.
