Countryside Alliance: Last Boxing Day for hunt ban?

Tuesday, 29 December 2009 12:00 AM

New research published by the Countryside Alliance on the biggest hunting day of the year shows that 57% of people believe the Hunting Act is not working. Nearly half of the population (49%) also believes that a new Government should either repeal the Act or give Parliament a free vote.

Over 300 hunts meet on Boxing Day with the largest crowds of the season coming to show their support for local hunts and the campaign for the repeal of the Hunting Act. Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert has confirmed that the 2010 Conservative manifesto will contain a commitment to "give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a Government bill in Government time".

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart said: "This research shows people understand that the Hunting Act is a bad law, passed for bad reasons and that it has failed. The law is a confusing mess and, although only three hunts have been successfully prosecuted under the Hunting Act many others have faced spurious allegations from animal rights activists.

"There can be no excuse for keeping a law which wastes thousands of hours of police time and millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. Our police and courts should be able to focus on real crime and real criminals, rather than wrestling with an unworkable hunting law.

"Support for hunting this Boxing Day will once again extend way beyond the rural community to include all those many thousands of people who see the Hunting Act for what it really is: a spiteful piece of state bullying and class warfare, which never had anything to do with animal welfare. There is no place for such laws in a tolerant 21st century Britain.

"This should be the last Boxing Day that hunts have to operate under the ban. Whoever is in Government after the election must give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act."

The polls* carried out by ORB for the Countryside Alliance asked:

Q. As you may be aware the Hunting Act came into force in England and Wales in February 2005. One of the main purposes of the Act was to ban the hunting of wild animals (such as foxes) using dogs. From what you know, do you think the Hunting Act is working?

No 57%
Yes 34%
Don't know 9%

Q. What would you like to see the Government do about the current hunting ban?

Repeal the ban,

or allow a free vote amongst MPs to decide 49%
Keep the ban in place 45%
Don't know 6%

Ends.

Tags: