Adrian Ramsay MP's cat Bella crowned Purr Minister of 2026
Adrian Ramsay MP for Waveney Valley is delighted that his beloved cat Bella has won the public vote for Purr Minister of the Year.
Welcoming the victory and reinforcing his work on animal protection, Adrian said:
“I'm delighted that the real boss of our house, Bella, has been crowned Purr Minister of the United Kingdom. I'm very proud of her! Battersea does vital work on behalf of cats nationwide, helping to highlight the welfare challenges cats face and the action needed to keep them safe and healthy.”
Adrian continued by saying, “We are a nation of animal lovers, and I am proud to play a leading role in championing animal issues in Parliament. Animal protection isn’t a side issue. It is fundamental to the kind of country we want to be, and the public rightly expects us to act.”
“That is why it is vital that this Government fully implements the commitments in the Animal Welfare Strategy published last December. Ministers must set clear timescales to phase out confined systems in factory farms like crates and cages, properly support farmers through the transition, and ensure imports meet the same standards we expect of our own farmers. Warm words in a strategy document mean nothing without delivery, and animals deserve action not more delay.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Through Purr Minister, Battersea aims to encourage policymakers and the public alike to consider the welfare challenges facing cats today and the actions needed to help keep them safe and healthy.
For those inspired by Bella's success, Battersea encourages prospective owners to consider adopting a rescue cat and helping more animals find the loving homes they deserve. For more information about Purr Minister 2026, and to read Bella's winning 'Manifursto', visit: https://www.battersea.org.uk/about-us/news/purr-minister
Adrian has a long-standing record on animal welfare. In December 2025, he coordinated a cross-party letter, signed by over 35 Parliamentarians, urging the Government to ensure the forthcoming Animal Welfare Strategy included a time-bound phase-out of all confinement cages and crates in UK farming, alongside a fully-funded package to support farmers through the transition. At the time, Adrian said: "We often say the UK leads the world on animal welfare, yet millions of animals remain confined in awful conditions that many other European countries have already moved away from. As a nation that prides itself on caring for animals, it is unacceptable that these cruel practices continue."
When the Government's Animal Welfare Strategy was published, Adrian welcomed it but warned it "must have real teeth to deliver meaningful improvements for animals," calling for clear timescales to phase out crates and cages, proper support for farmers through the transition, and no imports that fail to meet UK standards. He also welcomed action on snares, hunting and puppy farming, while calling for the strategy to go further, including by ending greyhound racing, as the Welsh Government is doing.
Picture of Adrian & Bella can be found it at this link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wyrPZdxsWLfMM39hVRMUsV7yRK3WN-f8/view?usp=sharing.
Press release from Battersea in case you did not receive it.
Battersea is delighted to announce that Bella, the beloved cat of Waveney Valley MP Adrian Ramsay, has been elected Purr Minister 2026.
After weeks of campaigning and public voting, 14-year-old Bella secured 36 per cent of the public vote, triumphing over three fellow feline candidates to become Westminster's top cat for 2026.
Bella won over voters with the promise of sweeping reforms - such as a ban on visible bowl bottoms and the introduction of a tuna-based economy - positioning herself as the candidate determined to tackle the issues that matter most to cats. Her vision of a future built on sunlight, full bowls, warm
keyboards and obedient humans clearly struck a chord with the electorate, landing her the title of Purr Minister 2026.
Battersea's much-loved Purr Minister competition continues to celebrate the unique role cats play in our lives while raising awareness of important cat welfare issues. Since launching in 2014, the contest has seen parliamentary cats from across Westminster compete for the prestigious title.
Adrian Ramsay, Waveney Walley MP and proud owner of Bella said: “Bella is greatly looking forward to devoting all of her 1.5 waking hours per day - when she isn’t eating, hunting spiders or grooming – to serving the cats of the United Kingdom and advancing the battle for full feline dominance and
sovereignty.”
Bella's victory comes as Battersea continues to campaign on behalf of cats nationwide. While microchipping became compulsory for pet cats in England in 2024, Battersea's latest research found that more than one in five cats still do not have a microchip, highlighting the ongoing need to raise awareness among owners. Through Purr Minister, Battersea aims to encourage policymakers and the public alike to consider the welfare challenges facing cats today and the actions needed to help keep them safe and healthy.
For those inspired by Bella's success, Battersea encourages prospective owners to consider adopting a rescue cat and helping more animals find the loving homes they deserve.
It is time to end the cruelty of cages and crates in UK farming
Originally published on the 12th of December 2025 on https://www.farmersguardian.com/blog/4523182/exclusive-adrian-ramsay-end-cruelty-cages-crates-uk-farming
The UK likes to believe it leads the world on animal welfare. We tell ourselves that we set high standards and that our farms reflect the compassion we hold so dear as a nation. Yet each year, millions of animals are trapped in conditions we would not allow our dogs or cats to endure. In far too many cases, hens are still confined to cages that offer less space than a sheet of A4 paper. Sows remain locked inside farrowing crates for weeks at a time, unable to turn around. Calves begin their lives alone in narrow pens that restrict natural movement. All of this continues despite mounting evidence, clear public concern, and workable alternatives.
Later this month, the Government is due to publish its Animal Welfare Strategy. It is a chance to meaningfully improve the lives of farmed animals. I led a group of 36 MPs and Lords from across the political spectrum, urging the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to use the animal welfare strategy to move towards a more humane treatment of farmed animals. This must start with a time-bound plan to phase out the use of confinement cages and crates in our farming system. However, regulation alone is not enough. The Government must offer financial and practical support to farmers so they can move to higher-welfare systems with confidence.
From talking with the NFU and farmers across my East Anglian constituency, it is clear that many support high welfare standards, and that they would welcome government support for improving welfare standards. They also often feel undercut by the megafarms – huge industrial units of hundreds of thousands of chickens or many thousands of pigs – which are becoming commonplace in East Anglia. Or they feel squeezed by the supermarkets driving down prices. Both these issues need simultaneous government action.
You might ask, Adrian, is this really a big issue? Well, there are almost eight million laying hens remaining in cages where they cannot even stretch their wings. About two hundred thousand pigs spend close to a quarter of their adult lives in farrowing crates. These animals live in conditions that deny their most basic instincts. Many countries in Europe have already recognised this and acted. They are moving away from cages for hens. Some, like Switzerland and Norway, have banned farrowing crates entirely. Research from Humane World for Animals shows that more than two-thirds of people in the UK oppose the use of farrowing crates, so there is growing public support to move towards a more humane system.
In our letter to the Secretary of State, we set out what must be done to bring the UK into line with international best practice. First, the Animal Welfare Strategy should set a timeline for the phase-out of farrowing crates, individual calf pens, and all cages used for birds. Second, the Government must back a funded transition package so that farmers can invest in new housing and management systems for their animals. Finally, stronger enforcement is essential. Too many existing laws go unmonitored and unenforced. New research from the Animal Law Foundation reveals that only 2.2% of UK farms were inspected in 2024, meaning 97.8% of farms received no official welfare visit at all. That means nearly all farms received no visit at all. This leaves both animals and law-abiding farmers at risk, while sending the wrong message to those, who do not follow the regulations. That means nearly all farms received no visit at all. This leaves both animals and law-abiding farmers at risk, while sending the wrong message to those who cut corners.
I was recently at an event where the problem was perfectly summed up. A country cannot claim leadership in animal protection while failing to check that its own laws are followed. When violations rarely lead to consequences, poor practice goes unchallenged. We would not tolerate it in any other regulatory area, nor should we accept it when animals are involved.
Alongside these measures, Greens would like to see trade rules reformed so that imports cannot be allowed where they fail to meet the same standards as are required in UK production. This is fundamental to supporting our farmers. We would also like to see action on supermarkets to stop the practice of driving down prices they pay to farmers to levels that stop farmers making a real living.
And of course, there are many other areas where I am advocating for farmers, such as the need for the Sustainable Farming Incentive to be reopened and put on a long-term footing that farmers can rely on – to help advance nature-friendly farming. Plus, I am pressing the Government to rethink its place on Agricultural Property Relief so that ordinary family farms are not impacted.
On my proposals for the Animal Welfare Strategy, many farmers already lead the way, and many more would join them if given the tools to do so. Higher welfare farming is part of a resilient food system because it supports healthier animals, reduces the risk of disease outbreaks and creates steadier supply chains that are less vulnerable to shocks. The Animal Welfare Strategy provides an opportunity to make improvements that reflect who we are as a country, while providing essential support to farmers for this transition. There’s strong public support for these changes and I hope the government delivers.