Celebrities campaign to keep hunt ban
CELEBRITY animal rights campaigners today step up their campaign to keep the hunting ban, which the Conservatives have said they will repeal if they win the general election.
Senior politicians from each of the main parties today write exclusively for the Western Morning News, setting out their policy on the fifth anniversary of the legislation coming into force in England and Wales.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Tory leader David Cameron must "come clean" about his policy to "reintroduce the practice of dogs tearing wild animals to pieces."
However, Mr Benn's Conservative opponent Nick Herbert reiterates his call for a free vote on repealing the law, branding the Act "the most symbolic example of Labour's disregard for rural areas".
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron says the law should be repealed, and replaced with a "more comprehensive animal welfare bill" which would allow cases of alleged cruelty to be properly tested in court.
With less than three months to go until the expected general election date of May 6, opponents of hunting have stepped up their campaign to protect the ban.
Sir Paul McCartney heads a list of stars opposing a return to fox hunting with hounds. In a report from Ifaw in Action, part of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the former Beatle and animal welfare campaigner described the ban as an "historic victory for wildlife" that must be preserved.
Sir Paul said: "The scenes described in this report of how animals were hunted down and savaged with dogs for fun before the Hunting Act 2004 was passed are simply barbaric and shocking and should remain a part of Britain's past, not its future."
The report from Ifaw in Action claims there was "overwhelming scientific evidence" that hunting with dogs was cruel and that more than 100 people had been brought to justice for breaking the law.
The No Return to Cruelty report also said a recent Ipsos Mori poll of more than 2,000 adults found that 75 per cent, including seven out of 10 people in the countryside, did not support a repeal of the fox hunting ban.
Meanwhile, the League Against Cruel Sports today launches a film featuring celebrities watching footage of hunts.
Stars include former Doctor Who Colin Baker, One Foot in the Grave actress Annette Crosbie and Time Team presenter Tony Robinson. Naturalist Bill Oddie and ex-Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson also appear.
League chief executive Douglas Batchelor said the reaction of the celebrities is "just hammering another nail into the hunter's coffin". He added: "Their bloodsport is a thing of history just like bear baiting."
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "The Government is satisfied that the Hunting Act is working and is legally sound and has no plans to introduce any changes to the legislation."
According to the Government, the Hunting Act was brought in to end practices the majority of people did not support because they caused unnecessary suffering.
Ministers believe the Act is legally sound and the police have made it clear they would enforce it.
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by Cat, Devon
Tuesday, February 23 2010, 9:30PM
“@ Abbi, Cornwall
Do you realise that what you did was illegal? Sorry to burst your bubble, but we don't get to pick and choose which laws apply to us and which we shall obey. If you want a great ride with lots of banks to jump, what's wrong with drag hunting? You can plan the route to include as many banks as you like!
As for "one quick squeak and the fox is dead, feeling no pain" - do you honestly believe that? And that it happens that quickly each and every time? And have you taken into account the desperate race for its life the fox must first endure? Do you know that foxes suffer exhaustion and fear while running, and some may even die from hearts attacks and stress? Even those who are so-called allowed to go free can die later due to their ordeal. Do yourself, your horse and our wildlife a favour and take up drag hunting.”
by Me, Cornwall
Sunday, February 21 2010, 11:17AM
“Hey Matt,
if People didn't go round chasing meats which we eat round the countryside in the first place how the heck were they caught and kept in captivity to live their short unfulfilled lives before they are slaughtered?
If they were "designed" to be eaten then surely by the same token foxes were "designed" to be chased, because its all a matter of choice isn't it. You choose to believe its ok to eat meat and yet not ok to Hunt- but really the two are not that different are they not when it comes down to it its still killing for pleasure, just different pleasures that's all.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Saturday, February 20 2010, 7:42PM
“:( I suppose you could put one up in your kitchen window Justin. . Does she let you drive the car?”
by Freethinker, Cornwall
Saturday, February 20 2010, 5:57PM
“@ Charles
Send me one of those stickers me old mucker. I would appreciate that. Freethinker”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Saturday, February 20 2010, 2:27PM
“:| A fox and rabbits ignoring each other. . A regular summer's evening sight.
After the 3w's
.nps.gov/sajh/naturescience/images/fox_and_rabbits_prairie.jpg”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Saturday, February 20 2010, 2:13PM
“:) See I suckered you again Tim! . . But stick to politics, because you obviously haven't got a clue about farming or the countryside. . Would you like me to send you a I HATE CHARLES HENRY sticker for your car rear window? . Or would you rather have counselling?”
by TimV, Pz
Saturday, February 20 2010, 12:58PM
“Here! Here! Grahem. I have long argued the valuable contribution foxes make to controlling the rabbit population - a far greater agricultural pest. Supporters of the hunting fraternity denigrate the fox purely to sway public opinion and enable them to continue a sporting pastime. They even project a system of human morals on the fox whilst disapplying it to themselves. How conflicted is that?”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, February 19 2010, 5:35PM
“@ Grahem, devon
Graham, well I think you are just a fantasist.
Foxes are NOT brilliant rabbiters nor ratters, and I don't think you really have clue what you are talking about. . I can already hear my free range chicken farming neighbours laughing hysterically. . . The same professional who kills foxes for them with a rifle, also comes rabbiting for me. . And another of my neighbours also recently lost most of their Guinea fowl to the fox. . Some people really can make it up!”
by Philip, Kent
Friday, February 19 2010, 5:21PM
“Are they watching that cupgirls video? There was a speight of videos of people being filmed watching that video hit last year.”
by Grahem, devon
Friday, February 19 2010, 4:38PM
“Why has no-one filmed a fox killing a healthy lamb? simple -because foxes don't do it.
On my farm I have a healthy fox population and 10,000 fee range chicken protected by electric fence, cheap and simple protection. If anyone introduces an alien species into the environment it is up to them to supply protection. You don't kill humans for stealing you try to protect your property from them.
If you breed pheasants for the purposes of shooting them you cannot blame a fox for catching them, it just got there before you did. In any case there are only a limited number of pheasants a fox can take, so for a little cost breed a few extra for the foxes if you must insist on slaughtering tame birds .
Foxes are brilliant rabbiters and ratters, they belong in the countryside are very useful to farmers and we should nurture them.
Those who cannot live alongside wildlife without killing them are to me mentally sick, it is totally unnesessary to slaughter wild creatures, why don't you pit youselves against humans - because you would be scared of being killed yourself - easy for cowards to kill something which cannot retaliate innit!”