Labour could deliver on its pledge to end badger culling, but only with a major increase in testing and vaccination, according to a government-commissioned review.
The report, led by Sir Charles Godfray, warns that current investment levels in tackling bovine tuberculosis (bTB) are insufficient, giving ministers only a “small chance” of eradicating the disease in England by 2038. More than 210,000 badgers have been killed since culling began in 2013, with the disease costing taxpayers and farmers around £150m each year.
Godfray said evidence still shows badgers can transmit bTB to cattle, but stressed this does not automatically mean culling is necessary. Instead, the report urges non-lethal measures, such as scaling up badger vaccination, improved cattle testing with more accurate blood tests, and better tracking of livestock movements.
Comparing the response needed to the Covid-19 pandemic, Godfray said eradication requires urgency and focus: “Vaccination is a realistic way to stop bovine TB in badgers but considerable work will have to be done to scale it up.”
The farming minister, Daniel Zeichner, welcomed the findings, highlighting record levels of badger vaccination in 2024 and the development of a cattle vaccine, with £40m already invested in research. A new eradication strategy is expected early next year.
