The Westminster Tradition 'Mad Cow Disease' part 2 - a bogus professor and a dead cat
Feb 16, 2026
They dig into feline BSE cases that sparked public panic and undermined faith in species barriers. They trace slow, incremental science that narrowed comfort and left reassurance brittle. They explore rushed regulation that lacked verifiable checks and uneven local enforcement. They follow political pressure, centralisation battles, and a shock discovery of spinal material in processed meat.
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Cat Cases Trigger National Panic
- Domestic cats contracted BSE, sparking huge public panic and sensational headlines like "Cat Killer Disease."
- Caroline describes Professor Richard Lacey and a "bogus professor and a dead cat" moment in Parliament to highlight the theatre of the crisis.
Photo Op That Defined The Era
- John Gummer dramatically fed a beef burger to his four-year-old daughter on camera to reassure the public.
- The stunt felt gutsy then but later became a symbol of political theatre and misplaced reassurance.
Science Slowly Tightened The Risk Margin
- New scientific findings gradually eroded confidence: smaller infectious doses and long, variable incubation periods emerged.
- The science shifted risk assessments away from certainty and toward increasing uncertainty over years.