Vote on hunting ban repeal wins backing of MP
TIVERTON and Honiton's new MP has welcomed the prospect of a repeal of the law which bans hunting with dogs.
Conservative Neil Parish is pleased that the new coalition had indicated a willingness to hold a Parliamentary vote on whether to repeal the Hunting Act, introduced by the Labour government.
The Conservative manifesto pledged a 'free vote' on repeal.
Following talks on the final coalition deal between the Tories and Liberal Democrats, it is understood that MPs will have the chance later this year to vote on a Parliamentary motion to hold a vote on the ban.
This vote would only take place if a majority of MPs supported the motion.
Given the parliamentary arithmetic, with no single party having an overall majority, it is unclear whether MPs would choose to lift the ban.
The 2004 Hunting Act made it illegal to use dogs to hunt foxes and other wild animals, but hunts where a scent trail is laid for hounds to follow were allowed to continue.
Mr Parish said: "My position has not changed. I would support a repeal of the Hunting Act because I feel it was bad legislation.
"However, I wouldn't want to see a Bill presented that was not ready, so I think we will see a lot of negotiation before it comes to the floor of the House.
"Seven hundred hours of parliamentary time was spent during the previous parliament, and I wouldn't want to see so much time spent again.
"There is so much to put right in this country — hunting is an issue, but there are great problems to address too."
Mr Parish said support for hunting was more prevalent in the countryside than in the towns in his constituency, but said the Boxing Day hunt in Tiverton saw hundreds of people turn out to watch the spectacle.
Exeter MP and former Labour minister Ben Bradshaw has vowed to fight 'tooth and nail' against any move to scrap the ban.
He said: "Many people who voted Liberal Democrat in the election will be furious that the party has caved into pressure for a vote on hunting.
"This will be seen as another betrayal by the Lib Dems, who claimed to be supporters of animal welfare and against cruelty.
"It is also a complete waste of parliamentary time to try to reverse the hunting ban, which has such overwhelming support from the public.
"My Labour colleagues and I will fight this tooth and nail."
2 Comments
by Norman Bryant, west sussex
Thursday, May 27 2010, 8:17PM
“Good on you Neil, and I would not expect anything other from the Labour twit, it is a bad law and needs repealling”
by Terry S, Somerset, UK
Thursday, May 27 2010, 10:45AM
“Neil Parish MP and his fellow Conservatives are wrong to want to repeal the law which bans hunting with dogs. In fact the law should be strengthened, loopholes removed and penalties for infringement increased. The hunting ban was a long overdue and much needed improvement to our animal welfare laws, akin to the earlier abolition of dog fighting and badger baiting. Foxhunting has nothing to do with 'controlling the fox population' - it is totally ineffective in this respect, however it is very cruel.
Also, do not forget that the hunting ban is about more than foxhunting, it also bans deer and hare hunting and the blatant cruelty of hare coursing - how can Neil Parish and David Cameron possibly justify re-legalising this vile and barbaric activity?
I used to vote Conservative in a West Country marginal constituency, but switched my vote to the Lib Dems because my Tory MP would not listen to those of us who wanted to see an end to the cruelty of hunting and coursing. The Conservatives were defeated and we have had a Lib Dem MP ever since, and of course hunting was banned, thank goodness.
If David Cameron really wants to govern for the 'good of the country' and wants to put his 'Big Society' ideas into practice then he should accept that the vast majority of the British public support the ban on hunting and he should NOT attempt to repeal the Hunting Act. Also, his acknowledgement that hunting really is a thing of the past in Britain, never to return, would be a sign that the Conservative Party has genuinely modernised itself and is no longer the 'Nasty Party'.”