The ‘Happy New Year’ mailing to supporters of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) has a lengthy moan about the ‘barriers’ that it claims are blocking it from ‘telling our side of the animal testing argument’. Much of this is put down to the supposed ‘vested interests’ and ‘deadweight of the testing industry’ - the usual stuff.

BUAV seems to be particular concerned that the ITN and Sky News reports on its infiltration at the Nafovanny primate breeding centre in Vietnam were ‘suddenly pulled’ after the broadcasters had a phone conversation with the ‘powers that be’. BUAV names the Home Office and the Medical Research Council in this category.

BUAV says it wants to make 2007 a ‘landmark year’ in telling the stories that the powers that be would rather keep quiet. The antivivisectionists have always been superb at creating elaborate conspiracy theories, with supposedly sinister and powerful forces acting behind the scenes against them. This must be great for fundraising. But in fact it is BUAV who would be uncomfortable with the truth—which is why it doesn’t reveal what really happened.