We the undersigned would like the UK Independence Party, otherwise known as UKIP, to stand by their promise to completely ban the non-stun slaughter of animals including for 'religious purposes' with the UK.

By adding my signature to this petition I confirm that: I am a UK resident of legal voting age (over 18) and that my decision to sign this petition is not racially or religiously motivated but is a matter of animal welfare.

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We the voting majority of the UK hereby categorically state that, we reject any compromise that will allow non-stun slaughter to continue.

We also reject any argument that religious practice should take precedence over animal welfare and that non-stun slaughter is kinder than pre-stunning. If performed correctly and using the correct voltage/amperage of electricity then pre-stunning has been scientifically proven beyond all doubt to render an animal incapable of feeling pain.

The exemption that exists within the Animal Welfare regulations which allows for non-stun slaughter if the meat produced was intended to only be consumed by either the Muslim or Jewish communities is no longer 'fit for purpose' as it was not put in place to allow virtually the whole of the UK slaughter industry to claim exception.

Both the retail and slaughter industries are on record as saying that they have done so purely for their own financial reasons and we reject that profit making and greed should come before animal welfare.

As non-stunned meat products are now available in every major food outlet on the UK high street, a large quantity of which is unlabeled, it is clearly being sold to people outside of the religious community's to whom the exemption states it must only be sold.

UKIP has widely publicised that it is the 'political party for everyone' but if UKIP reverses its policy to ban non-stun slaughter then we wish UKIP to know that we feel it is alienating us, the overwhelming majority of UK voters, who wish non-stun slaughter to be banned.

If we are to support UKIP then we need a political party (and a leader) who is not only strong enough to stand by the majority but one in whom we can trust to say what they mean and to mean what they say.

On Feb 03 2015 UKIP published a statement on their website in which they said were fully behind the campaign to ban all non-stun slaughter in the UK and that they would make it a UKIP policy.

In the statement they said:

"We see no reason why religious groups should not take into account the concerns of animal welfare when carrying out slaughter.

"We find the government response to this issue is weak, lazy and bordering on spineless. It says it would "prefer" animals to be stunned before slaughter but that it must "respect the rights of Jewish and Muslim communities to eat meat in accordance with their beliefs.”

It has since emerged that due to pressure from certain Jewish groups, UKIP are having second thoughts and may reverse their policy.

We who have signed this petition say that it is UKIP who will seem "weak, lazy and bordering on spineless" if they give in to minority pressure over a subject as important as animal welfare.

If you do sign and you leave comments about why, please stay away from race and religion as this petition is not about that. It is only concerned with animal welfare. Thanks everyone.