Labour Party’s links with animal activists who defaced King Charles’s portrait revealed

The Conservatives have launched a furious attack on the Labour Party after it emerged that numerous Labour councils have links with the animal activist group that defaced King Charles’s portrait today.

Animal Rising occupied the Philip Mould gallery in central London, covering His Majesty’s newly-painted likeness with the cartoon character Wallace from Wallace and Gromit.

The move was the latest art attack by a hard-left group in recent years, beginning with Just Stop Oil’s Heinz soup attack on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

This afternoon the Tories accused Labour of “allying” themselves with the extremist eco vandals, as it emerged numerous Labour councils have a history of working with Animal Rising.

Animal Rising runs a campaign called “plant-based councils”, which calls on local authorities to “take climate action by promoting plant-based eating to their residents and to lead by example with 100% plant-based internal catering”.

It can be revealed that among the campaign’s self-professed ‘five wins’, four of them are Labour-led councils who have caved into their plant-munching demands.

Namely: Norwich, Exeter, Oxford and Cambridge.

In addition, Labour councillors in both Cambridge and Essex are held up as examples for the group.

Councillor Duncan Wood, Labour’s lead councillor for Climate Change on Exeter City Council, is quoted on Animal Rising’s website as saying: “I am asking council to play a role in raising awareness of the benefits of plant-based foods."

Councillor Alex Collis, Labour’s deputy leader on Cambridge City Council, similarly praises the impact of Animal Rising’s campaign, saying it can affect “change that has an impact on our environment”.

Ms Collis went further, saying Animal Rising’s plan is “a central part of our commitment to becoming a net zero council”.

In addition to the party’s council links, one of Labour’s most famous donors - eco-warrior Dale Vince - previously said he’d given money to Animal Rising as well as Extinction Rebellion.

Mr Vince, who has given more than £5million to Sir Keir’s party in recent years, told the Guardian last year: “I give money to Extinction Rebellion as well and to Animal Rising, the people that disrupted the Grand National”.

He hasn't had any further public association with the group since.

This afternoon a Conservative Party source told the Daily Express: “Labour Party politicians are only too happy to ally themselves with the sort of hard-left activists who think it appropriate to target portraits of the Royal Family.

“It just demonstrates that this sort of public vandalism and obstructive protest would only increase under a Keir Starmer government.

“Only the Conservatives have a clear plan to take the bold action needed to stop disruptive protest and keep the public safe.”

However a Labour spokesperson emphatically hit back: "This is outright vandalism and we completely condemn it".

Animal Rising has previously called for hardline tactics including “farm occupations”, “mass trespass” and “public facing disruptions”.

31 people linked to Animal Rising were arrested in June last year over plans to “cancel or severely delay” the Epsom Derby, having previously attempted to disrupt the Grand National.

Just last week, Labour-run Calderdale Council's cabinet also voted to join the campaign to move to a meat-free council, sparking outrage from the Countryside Alliance.

The Countryside Alliance's Mo Metcalf Fisher warned: "There can never be any justification for banning meat and dairy. It represents not only an attack on our hardworking livestock farmers, but on the very concept of freedom of choice".

"Political leaders must reject this nonsense and rally behind our farmers. Red meat produced in this country is among the most sustainable in the world and that's something we should be proud of."