Politics Home Article | Alex Mayer MP calls for ‘cruelty-free Commons’

Alex Mayer, Labour MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, has called for the House of Commons to go ‘cruelty-free’ by ending the use of cleaning and household products tested on animals on the Parliamentary Estate.

Her statement comes just weeks after the government published its strategy to phase-out animal testing in the UK.

Mayer said: “I believe that Parliament should set an example by going cruelty-free, and showing that animal testing should not be part of any cleaning or household product. The UK is a nation of animal lovers and a global leader in science, and we should be leading the way in ending unnecessary animal suffering in laboratories.

“How we treat animals is a measure of how civilised a society we are. The Government’s strategy ‘Replacing Animals in Science’ is an important step forward, but there is more to do. I will continue to make the case for Ministers to seize the opportunities offered by cutting-edge, human-relevant science that is better for both animals and people.”

According to written Parliamentary answers to questions tabled by Alex Mayer MP, The Parliamentary Estate currently uses 40 cleaning products, 35 of which are approved as cruelty-free. This list was updated in March 2025, with the adoption of a further four cruelty-free products. The answers clarify that the Estate’s cleaning contractors are looking for cruelty-free alternatives for the five remaining products.

Animals are routinely used in safety tests during the manufacture of products including food, clothes, cosmetics, household cleaning products, fertilisers, paper, toys, fuels, plastics, furniture, carpets, electronic goods, paints and dyes.

The number of animals used in regulatory testing, including the standardised tests designed to assess the safety or effectiveness of chemicals, medicines and other products and routine production, using animals to produce things like antibodies, was 315,290 in 2024, a 3% increase on 2023.

Ms Mayer was in December named the very first ‘MP of the Year’ by Cruelty Free International, for her commitment to animal protection and the phase-out of animal testing.

In April 2025, Ms Mayer supported the roll out of Cruelty Free International’s updated Replace Animal Tests (RAT) list, as part of a campaign which pressed Ministers to end animal experiments where proven non-animal alternatives already exist. Following the campaign, the Government committed to scrapping five such tests by 2027 as part of its animal welfare strategy. These include Botox potency tests on mice and the so-called rabbit pyrogen test, which deliberately induces fever in animals.

Michelle Thew, Chief Executive of Cruelty Free International, said: “This practical approach to change, in leading the call for the House of Commons to go cruelty-free, is something we fully support. This kind of initiative can have a major impact in raising awareness of how widespread animal testing is, and how individuals can make the same informed ethical changes in their own homes.

“In a year that has seen significant progress with the publication of the Government’s strategy to phase out animal testing, Alex’s voice has been among the most influential in advocating for real, meaningful change. We are delighted to recognise Alex’s contribution to the movement to end animal testing. She is a long-standing supporter of animal protection and the mission to end animal testing, in both the UK and Europe, and we thank her for her tireless work.”

Cruelty Free International is one of the world’s longest standing and most respected animal protection organisations. The organisation is widely regarded as an authority on animal testing issues and is frequently called upon by governments, media, corporations and official bodies for its advice or expert opinion. www.crueltyfreeinternational.org