Boris Johnson faces huge pressure from MPs to keep ban on fur and foie gras imports in animal welfare bill

Boris Johnson is facing calls from his MPs to keep a proposed import ban on fur and foie gras in the upcoming animal welfare bill.

Politico reports that a Government official has said the ban is unlikely to be featured in the bill, despite this being a U-turn on Mr Johnson's previous position on fur and foie gras importation.

The 2019 animal welfare bill manifesto first references a possible ban on fur and foie gras, but a U-turn is now possible.

The production of fur and foie gras is banned in the UK, and a spokesperson from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) insist the Government remains "fully committed to animal welfare".

Mr Johnson is facing pressure from opposing factions within his own party on the issue, as grassroots Tory campaigner Lorraine Platt is also reported to be organising a lobby of influential MPs to call on the Prime Minister to think again.

Ms Platt is a member of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, a group that also boasts members such as Dominic Raab and Zac Goldsmith.

She told The Guardian: “We can’t let Boris be swayed off course by a minority of dissenters. We’ve known for some time there’s been a small minority of MPs who are against any ban on foie gras and fur imports.

“We will be taking some action on this. We will be encouraging this measure to go forwards."

The production of foie gras has proven to be controversial, as it involves force-feeding birds with more food than they would eat in the wild.

MPs who are believed to oppose the ban on fur and foie gras imports include Jacob Rees-Mogg and Ben Wallace.

The BBC report that Jacob Rees-Mogg believes the government should not impose restrictions on customers, and a ban on foie gras would not benefit animal welfare in the UK.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is also believed to have raised concerns, as bear fur is used by the military for hats worn by Guardsmen.