Badger cull U-turn and lack of promises on factory farming, water pollution and wildlife support all prompt questions

Labour’s animal-welfare and environmental policies may be better than the Tories’ – but they contain disappointing gaps, experts say.

In a YouGov poll last year, a third of voters said animal welfare was one of their top three issues.

So new environment secretary Steve Reed will come under pressure from lobby groups – and in some cases, from opposing countryside and farming factions.