Blue Fox: A New opportunity for a New Manifesto
It was recently revealed in the media that a few Tory back bench MP’s are plotting for an overhaul of the fox hunting ban to be included in the party’s election manifesto. These MP’s support the hunting lobby’s claims that a return of banned sports will appeal to voters in the countryside. Well, of course a return of the banned sport of fox hunting will appeal to the minority of hunters in the countryside but what about appealing to the views of the vast majority of rural communities?
Poll after poll has demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of people in the countryside support the ban on fox hunting and want it to remain in place .A recent Ipsos MORI survey conducted for the League Against Cruel Sports, RSPCA and IFAW, shows 80 per cent of the Great British public think that fox hunting should not be made legal again; 85 per cent think deer hunting should not be made legal again; and 87 per cent think hare hunting/coursing should not be made legal again.
The survey also revealed there to be no difference in the view held by those living in rural areas versus those in urban areas on the issue of legalising fox hunting. 80 per cent of rural dwellers thought fox hunting should not be made legal again; the same per cent for urban dwellers, highlighting that this is not a town versus country issue
Surely any political party wants to win the support of the majority of the public on wildlife issues rather than just the support of the hunting lobby minority? We can understand that the party leadership may be tense about the hunting lobby’s huge disappointment that the ban will remain in place yet it is necessary that the Conservative party distances itself away from the toxic issue of fox hunting. It is far more worthwhile to focus instead on pressing ahead with engaging the public with progressive issues.
David Cameron expressed ‘ regret’ after attempts to scrap the limit on using more dogs to flush out foxes was abandoned. It is now time for the Conservative party leadership to abandon any future plans to include any commitment to repeal the legislation which bans hunting with dogs in the next Conservative manifesto. The ban will be ten years old by the time of the General Election and is valued by the majority of the public.
The Conservatives Against Fox Hunting (Blue Fox ) campaign urges the Conservative party leadership to guarantee that the party will not include any pledges to undermine the hunting ban in the 2015 manifesto. For too long, the party has sided with the hunting lobby rather than representing the majority of the public’s concerns on the issue of hunting with dogs.
Our sound bite message is ‘Don’t Run With The Pack’ and this proclaims both standing up for your own authentic convictions despite peer pressure and to take a stand against the legalisation of wild stags, foxes and hares once again being hunted by packs of dogs.
We now have a pristine opportunity to dump the worn out hunting issue behind, promote a modern manifesto, in a new direction with an invigorated commitment to advance positive animal welfare objectives which appeal to our mainstream society.
Lorraine Platt,
Founder,
Conservatives Against Fox Hunting (Blue Fox)
May 2014
Conservatives demand party drops ‘worn-out’ hunting reform vote for general election manifesto
By Western Daily Press | Posted: May 19, 2014
By Simon Copp
The Hunting Act is a minority fixation that could cost the Conservatives votes at the general election, the Blue Fox group of grassroots members has said
The “worn-out” issue of hunting should be dumped by the Conservatives in favour of a “modern manifesto” for mainstream society, a group of the party’s supporters has said.
Campaign group Conservatives Against Fox Hunting, known as Blue Fox said that the issue was sacrificing the party’s wider appeal in order to chase votes in the countryside, despite polls demonstrating that “the overwhelming majority of people in the countryside support the ban on fox hunting and want it to remain”.
In March, David Cameron stamped out rumours of an amendment to the 2004 Hunting Act to allow more than two dogs to flush out foxes – a move described as more humane by hunters. But Owen Paterson later insisted that a free vote on repeal – as alid out in the Coalition agreement – still stood.
Honiton MP Neil Parish is a keen supporter of reform, saying the issue would be “a pivotal issue in many seats in the West Country”.
Earlier this month, pro-hunting group Vote-OK said its canvassing volunteers would be able to swing marginal seats in favour of the Conservatives – but only if the party was committed to a vote on the law.
But this week, Blue Fox will demand that the party leaves the issue out of its manifesto for 2015 general election.
A survey by Ipsos-MORI for the League Against Cruel Sports released late last year showed 80 per cent of the public were in favour of keeping fox hunting with dogs illegal – as well as other activities such as hare-coursing and badger baiting.
Speaking to the Western Daily Press, a spokesman for the group said: “The survey also revealed there to be no difference in the view held by those living in rural areas versus those in urban areas on the issue of legalising fox hunting. This is not a town-versus-country issue. We can understand that the party leadership may be tense about the hunting lobby’s huge disappointment that the ban will remain in place, yet it is necessary that the Conservative Party distances itself away from the toxic issue of fox hunting. It is far more worthwhile to focus instead on pressing ahead with engaging the public with progressive issues.
“We urge the Conservative party leadership to guarantee that the party will not include any pledges to undermine the hunting ban in the 2015 manifesto. For too long, the party has sided with the hunting lobby rather than representing the majority.
“We now have a pristine opportunity to dump the worn out hunting issue and promote a modern manifesto, in a new direction with a commitment to positive animal welfare objectives which appeal to our mainstream society.
