Labour could stop badger culling by 2029, but only with a major focus on testing and vaccination, according to a government-commissioned report.
The review, led by Sir Charles Godfray, warns ministers have only a “small chance” of eradicating bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in England by 2038 without increased investment. The disease costs taxpayers around £150m a year, and more than 210,000 badgers have been culled since 2013.
Godfray said badgers can spread bTB to cattle, but this does not automatically require culling. The report recommends non-lethal controls, including microchipping cattle and scaling up vaccination programs for both cattle and badgers.
“We saw during the Covid-19 pandemic how things can move much faster when there is real focus on the disease. We want to see the same for this disease,” Godfray said.
Prof James Wood, who contributed to the study, added that improved testing and vaccination could significantly reduce transmission in herds, particularly in large farms.
Farming minister Daniel Zeichner welcomed the report, highlighting record badger vaccinations in 2024 and plans to deploy a new field force and cattle vaccines, with a full strategy to be published next year.
