After spending several months kneading the purr-fect campaign, today (31st October) the UK’s paw-litical cats have officially launched their bid to become Britain’s meow-st influential feline in Purr Minister 2024, a competition organised by leading animal welfare charity Battersea.
One aspiring mouser hoping to be crowned top cat is Ebba, owned by Bishop Helen-Ann, Lord Bishop of New(Mew)castle. The 4-year-old cat has shared a ‘manifursto’ outlining her paw-litical strengths and policy ideas to increase her chances of being elected the new furry leader of the UK. As a rescue kitten, Ebba pledges to be a paws-on Purr Minister and is cat-mitted meow and fur-ever to represent her many cat-stituents. Ebba is paw-ticularly keen to support the campaign for pet friendly properties ensuring fair access for felines to be with their loving staff (owners).
Speaking on behalf of her cat candidate, or ‘cat-didate’, Bishop Helen-Ann said: "Ebba is such a fabmewlous cat-tidate to be next Purr Minister. She is definitely paws-on in her important work as security and hospitality chief cat at Bishop’s House and her mani-fursto is a paw-litical statement for paw-licies that will ensure a great future for furry friends everywhere. A vote for Ebba is a vote for The North!! 😻"
Over the last few weeks, politicians and peers from around the UK have submitted a ‘manifursto’ on behalf of their furry friends, and now the shortlist of candidates will be put to a public vote to find the top cat of the nation.
Battersea’s Cattery Manager, Bridie Williams, said: “After a brief hiatus, Battersea’s Purr Minister competition is back and bigger than ever. The candidate shortlist is the most impressive yet, and it will undoubtedly be a fur-ocious, claws out contest.
“This year’s candidates have had a couple of years to perfect their craft as political aides since the last Purr Minister competition in 2020. Training for some has included prowling the corridors to prevent the intrusion of mouse-like political enemies, whilst for others has involved interjecting in-person meetings with a well-timed meow of approval in support of their favourite policies. The competition will give them the acknowledgement they deserve for these unfaltering efforts, whilst also drawing due attention to some important animal welfare issues.
“At Battersea we believe that every cat is one-of-a-kind, but there can be only one winner, and we can’t wait to see who the public chooses to be their new furry leader.”
Members of the public can now show their support by voting for their top cat. Voting will close at 5pm on 14th November.
Vote for your favourite feline by clicking here. The winner will be announced on 21st November.
The full list of ‘cat-didates’ campaigning for votes are:
- Attlee, owned by Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP
- Chilli and Bandit, owned by Stella Creasy MP
- Clem and Mo, owned by Johanna Baxter MP
- Cookie, owned by Janet Daby MP
- Ebba, owned by Lord Bishop of Newcastle Dr Helen-Ann Hartley
- Millie, owned by Dr Scott Arthur MP
- Mimi, owned by Cat Eccles MP
- Morty, owned by Adam Thompson MP
- Murphy, owned by Layla Moran MP
- Scampi, owned by Peter Bedford MP
- Sprinkles, owned by Sadik Al-Hassan MP