The government announced in the Queen’s Speech that it will introduce legislation to recognise animal sentience - the fact that animals can feel pain and emotion - in UK law.

100,000 signature e-petition handed to the Parliamentary to convince the government to formally commit to introduce this law to replace EU regulations which will cease to apply in the UK after Brexit. Leaving the EU without recognising sentience would make animals vulnerable to the government creating new laws, policies or trade deals that do not take animals’ welfare needs into account.

https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/news/success-animal-sentience-recognised-in-uk-law

UK World Animal Protection. (2019). Success! Animal sentience to be recognised in UK law. [online] Available at: https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/news/success-animal-sentience-recognised-in-uk-law [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].