We are disappointed that one of the candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, and potentially our next Prime Minister should he be successful in this bid, has stated his support to legalise Fox Hunting.
Conservatives Against Fox Hunting (Blue Fox) received enormous numbers of emails from Conservative supporters during the course of the last general election. Many expressed disappointment as to why a free vote on the future of the Hunting Act had once again been included in the latest Conservative Manifesto. Conservative supporters told us that they were going to reconsider voting for their Conservative Candidate if they supported repeal and others who said outright they could not vote for a Conservative Government as this issue was important to them. Many Conservative supporters were saddened and dismayed that their views were not being represented by the party leadership on this issue. So why has this divisive unpopular and barbaric past time once again become an issue in a 2019 leadership contest?
We were pleased to see that a free vote on the Hunting Act was not included in the last Queen’s Speech and dropped as a policy during this Parliament by Theresa May in January 2018. Let us be clear, the chances of the Hunting Act being repealed during this parliament are very low. In the last Parliament, 83 Conservative MP’s had committed to opposing any repeal of the Hunting Act should a free vote have been called. An additional number of Conservative MPs said they would have abstained. Indeed, during the last few months ,an increasing number of previously pro-repeal Conservative MP’s reversed their earlier held position and said they would now not vote to repeal the hunting ban. We are confident that currently in excess of one third of Conservative MP’s would vote against repealing the Hunting Act.
The repeal issue is toxic and misrepresents the mainstream Conservative supporter as well as alienating the new generation of voters. It cements the opposition parties argument that there is a perception we are ‘for the few and not the many’ and it has the potential to show us as a party that does not listen not only to its supporters but the country. We must look forwards and not backwards.We must continue to focus on advancing positive animal welfare issues rather than return a banned blood sport.
Key facts:
One third of the Conservative Parliamentary Party is against any repeal…
There are over 100 Conservative MPs who would vote against the repeal of the hunting act and a substantial more who would abstain and undeclared. That is more that one third of the parliamentary Party.
The the threat of repeal of the hunting is Toxic…
The repeal issue is poisonous and misrepresents the mainstream Conservative supporter as well as alienating the new generation of voters. It cements the opposition argument that there is a perception we are ‘for the few and not the many’ and it has the potential to show us as a party that does not listen not only to its supporters but the country.
The Hunting Lobby recognise the country is against it…
Fox hunting on the door step and amongst younger voters is a major issue and is acknowledged as such in a recent post-election editorial, June the 9th 2017,in Baily’s Hunting Directory ‘The Oncoming Train’ “ they observed that two things got the students engaged (1st Student Fees) ‘’the second was the anti hunt message’’.
http://www.bailyshuntingdirectory.com/editorial/22789/.
One MP noted he had more emails and correspondence on this one issue than any other subject.
Remember this has nothing to do with animal welfare or wildlife management. This an activity performed for pleasure. A Blood Sport .In the hunting lobby’s own words they acknowledge ‘hunting is a sport’ :
“never given up fighting for our sport”
Lord Mancroft
Chairman of The Council of Hunting Associations
May 2017
