Martin is President of Cheltenham RSPCA and has been active at home and in parliament promoting the welfare of animals in the UK and abroad. As Lib Dem shadow environment minister in the last parliament he was able to take up a series of causes aimed at protecting animals and plans to keep doing so in this parliament.

He is promoting the routine microchipping of dogs, now a cheap and easy technology that could improve safety and identify thousands of lost pets. It would also help local authorities, the animal shelter and the police to correctly identify the owners of dangerous dogs and take firmer action. He also supported moves in Parliament to extend restrictions on the docking of puppies’ tails for sport and showing. Locally, he has been a friend of Cheltenham Animal Shelter and its innovative approach to socialising both dogs and some humans!  He is now one of a number of MPs leading the call for reform of dangerous dogs legilsation to shift the emphasis away from a list of obscure breeds - often difficult to identify - towards a focus on dangerous behaviour and the poor ownership that causes it.

Martin welcomes the tail of a whale to Westminster

Martin used his shadow ministerial position in the last parliament to strongly back international calls to uphold the ban on whaling and even met with the Japanese ambassador as part of the campaign to persuade Japan to drop its remaining hunting of these intelligent mammals in the name of ‘research’. He has tabled motions in Parliament criticising Canada’s seal hunt and calling for a Europe-wide ban on commercial seal products.

Martin and friend support the Marine Bill

As shadow minister, he was a strong supporter of the Marine Act 2009 that will help to protect fish stocks for future generations but will also add to the protection for vulnerable marine birds like the puffin. And he has backed national campaigns like the RSPCA’s Freedom Food standard that promote animal welfare.

Martin has also worked with local Cheltenham-based charity Naturewatch to oppose all animal testing for cosmetics and promote the ‘3Rs’ in animal research – reduction, replacement and refinement. This approach seeks to promote alternatives to animal research, eradicate unnecessary use of animals and improve animal welfare where research continues.