ROB POWNALL DRESSED AS A GANNET IS REFUSED ENTRY TO THE LAUNCH OF A MANIFESTO IN SCOTLAND

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I Tried to Gatecrash the Scottish Tory Manifesto Launch as a Gannet ROB POWNALL APR 9 READ IN APP This probably won’t surprise you after yesterday’s email. Because I said I was going to do whatever it takes to get this issue onto the political agenda and I meant it. So on Tuesday, I turned up to the Scottish Conservatives’ manifesto launch in Edinburgh dressed as a Gannet. The plan was simple: walk in, speak to the press, and present what I’m calling the “Ganifesto” a one-policy campaign to end the Guga hunt. I didn’t get very far. Security weren’t particularly keen on letting a giant seabird into the building for some reason. But that’s not really the point. Inside, politicians were launching their vision for Scotland. Outside, I was standing there representing a bird that is still legally killed in this country for the sake of tradition. And that contrast says everything. Because while parties talk about priorities, every year Gannet chicks are still being snatched from their nests and killed before they can even fly. Not because we need to. Not because it’s necessary. But because the law allows it to continue. That’s what this campaign is about. Sign the petition One ask. One change. Remove the exemption. End the Guga hunt. And now we’re taking this directly to those asking for your vote. We are asking the Scottish Conservatives and every other party standing in the Scottish Parliament elections a simple question: Will you commit to ending the Guga hunt? No more silence. No more avoidance. A clear answer. Because the public is already there. Polling shows the vast majority of people in Scotland support ending this. The momentum is there. What’s missing is the political will to act. So if turning up in a Gannet costume to manifesto launches helps force that conversation, then that’s exactly what I’ll keep doing. Because this shouldn’t still be happening. And the more attention we bring to it, the harder it becomes to ignore. We’ve set up a petition calling on all major parties to adopt a policy to end the Guga hunt which you can sign here. Sign the petition Support Protect the Wild. We’re not afraid to try everything in the fight for British wildlife - from undercover investigations and viral animations, to protests, hard-hitting reports, political lobbying, and even standing for public office. We believe in doing what others won’t. In trying what hasn’t been tried. And in saying things exactly as they are. And we’re powered entirely by you. We don’t rely on big donors or hidden backers. Our strength comes from thousands of ordinary people giving a few pounds a month - and together, that becomes unstoppable. Right now, our goal is 200 new monthly supporters. We’re already at 49 in just the first week of this month. If you believe in what we’re building and want to be part of one of the fastest-growing animal protection movements in the UK, please consider joining us and chipping in a few pounds a month. Thank you for standing with us. Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing