Hunt ban repeal "off political agenda"
A REPEAL of the hunting ban could be off the political agenda, according to animal rights campaigners.
The League Against Cruel Sports has said a poll of MPs suggests only 253 out of 650 members are committed to repealing the act.
But the league has been criticised by pro-hunting campaigners, who say there are more important things to worry about.
Jo Aldridge, publicity officer for the Duke of Beaufort hunt, which regularly meets near Tetbury, said she was surprised the league had chosen to carry out the poll.
She said: "When you think of all the cuts we are having and all the other things going on, I am surprised they are raising this sort of issue now.
"There are far more important things the Government has to concentrate on, and we know that. People are suffering real hardship.
Focus
"We do, however, have reason to believe the numbers supporting a repeal are different to what the league suggests."
Gloucester MP Richard Graham, who was helped to leaflet in Gloucester during the election by members of the Oxfordshire-based Heythrop hunt, agreed.
He said: "There are many more important things to do, to talk about, discuss and focus on than the hunting ban.
"Until a bill is put on the table in the House of Commons I am not going to spend time on it."
However, the league's chief executive, Douglas Batchelor, said the finding of the poll showed there was "no real appetite in the coalition for bringing back a bloodsport".
He said: "It is very clear the hunting issue is off the political agenda.
"We don't expect the first vote to come much before the next election. Even the hunts know this.
"The tradition for the start of the hunting season has become hunts claiming that this will be the last season under the Hunting Act, but they aren't saying that this year.
"The law is here to stay and we will continue to support the police in enforcing it."
9 Comments
by Mallard, Gloucester
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 9:26PM
“It was Oscar Wilde's birthday recently.
Thank You Oscar, we will never forget:
"The unspeakable, in pursuit of the uneatable"
Some things will never change.”
by Terry, NI
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 9:18PM
“At least you never heard of that "lovely" critter old foxy getting in to peaples homes and attaking peaple as they slept, these are the same idiots that set free all the mink to decimate our water birds and fish!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd hunt the silly bleaders”
by Albert, Abbeydale
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 8:59PM
“So. Our M.P. refuses to say if he supports a repeal of the hunting ban. He says he wants to wait until a Bill is published. Surely he must have a view and should share it with us.
Maybe he's undecided because the Tories are in league with the arch fence-sitters, the Lib Dems.”
by geraint, gloucester
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 4:27PM
“We can't afford any more hours of parliamentary time squandered on some vain attempt to placate the "hunt 'em and kill 'em for fun" minority. Given a free vote in the current hung parliament the chances of repealing the act are slim to non-existent anyway.”
by geraint, gloucester
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 4:25PM
“We can't afford any more hours of parliamentary time squandered on some vain attempt to placate the "hunt 'em and kill 'em for fun" minority. Given a free vote in the current hung parliament the chances of repealing the act are slim to non-existent anyway.”
by Shaun Shute, Gloucester
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 4:18PM
“The Duke of Beaufort Hunt wanted the Tories in and now they cant stop whinging. They deserve each other.”
by Nicholas Angel, Sandford
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 12:30PM
“Yet another conservative promise broken!
They should change the definition of Conservative to Someone who will say anything to get elected and then forgot what they promised! You can see why Labour are now more popular than the Conservatives!”
by Quedgeley Guy, Quedgeley
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 11:43AM
“To be more definite,Kath is mentioning the Exmoor Emperor,a giant stag in it's prime that has just been shot for no more than it's antlers.
It's time to do as Canada and others and give all wild animals automatic protection from humans and include a process to kill them only if proved to be dangerous.
A true Hunter would waste none of the Animal.”
by Kath, Chelt
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 8:58AM
“Ha! Now that would be a result!
It is high time that people realised that we are living in 2010 not the stone age,. Hunting of any kind is barbaric and should obviously be illegal in an enlightened, modern society. Just take a look at what has happened on Exmoor with idiots being allowed to shoot deer in rutting season, even fishing has an off season!
All that needs to be done now is to PROPERLY enforce the hunting ban and then extend it to include more species.”