Labour’s pledge to end the badger cull by 2029 is achievable but will require a Covid-style focus on testing and vaccination, according to a government-commissioned review.
The report, led by Sir Charles Godfray, warns that current investment in testing and vaccinating cattle and badgers is insufficient to suppress bovine tuberculosis (bTB), which costs taxpayers and farmers an estimated £150m annually. More than 210,000 badgers have been killed since culling began in 2013, yet the government’s target of eradicating bTB in England by 2038 is unlikely to be met without major changes.
Godfray said evidence shows badgers can spread the disease but stressed this “does not automatically mean culling is the solution”. Instead, he called for increased vaccination, improved cattle testing, and measures such as microchipping to track movements.
The review compares the required effort to the urgency seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, urging ministers to shift from “managing” to “defeating” the disease. Scientists contributing to the study said improved blood tests and cattle vaccination could dramatically cut transmission.
Farming minister Daniel Zeichner welcomed the findings, highlighting record badger vaccinations in 2024 and £40m invested in vaccine research, with a new national strategy due in early 2025.
