Liz Truss may ‘sacrifice animal welfare in bonfire of red tape’, warns government food tsar

Ditching ban on live exports and ambition to cut meat-eating would be madness, says Henry Dimbleby

A leading government adviser has warned the prime minister not to sacrifice animal welfare in a bonfire of red tape.

Food guru Henry Dimbleby warned it would be madness to ditch the Tories’ long-promised ban on live exports, which was made possible by Brexit.

And he revealed he clashed with Ms Truss while she was trade secretary over the UK’s trade deal with Australia, which routinely carries out mulesing – when workers shear off the skin of young lambs around their backsides. It is carried out without anaesthetic or pain relief and has been repeatedly condemned as cruel.