Thank you to all of you who have spoken out to protect wildlife from a return of hunting with dogs by contacting your MPs and candidates and asking them to support the ban.Your voice continues to be vital to protect this ban which is still under the threat of repeal. Environment Minister Elizabeth Truss recently stated her support for the repeal for the ban so it is urgent that you remind your MP and election candidate to support the ban. The new Conservative manifesto is still being decided thus it is paramount that you speak out to remind the Conservative leadership to leave the toxic issue of repeal and the badger cull out of the new manifesto. Thank you once again for being involved to protect wildlife and have a very Happy New Year!
Blue Fox- Conservatives Against Fox Hunting has had a very busy year in 2014 along with our two sister campaigns- Blue Badger against the badger cull and Blue Hare to protect nursing hares.We have provided some links of the campaigns on a month by month basis and some of the media links:
February
In February, Blue Fox organised a press release to mark nine years of the Hunt ban, signed by anti hunt Conservative MPs saying’ Move On, hunting has had its day’- http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/hunting-day-MPs-tell-campaigners/story-20652135-detail/story.html#ixzz2tlqQxUZx
We were delighted with the news that Dominic Raab MP and Sir David Amess MP accepted our invitation to become our Blue Fox patrons and join our existing patrons Sir Roger Gale MP, Caroline Dinenage MP, Tracey Crouch MP and Mike Weatherley MP. http://www.davidamess.co.uk/news/david-amess-mp-becomes-blue-fox-patron
Our Blue Badger campaign organised a Team Badger round table meeting with anti badger cull Conservative MP Anne Main to discuss the badger cull. Anne Main went on to lead a very successful badger cull debate in the main chamber in the House of Commons. The BBC East broadcast an interview with our Co Founder on the Conservative opposition to the roll out of the badger cull plans:
http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2014-03-24/dorset-could-be-in-the-next-wave-of-badger-culls/
March
In March we worked tirelessly to stop any amendment attempt to reintroduce fox hunting by the back door through a Statutory Instrumental device. We organised a letter signed by several anti Hunting Conservative MPs and our Blue Fox patrons condemning any relaxation of the hunting ban. This was reported on in several newspapers including the Sunday Express: http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/stuart-winter/463874/David-Cameron-risks-angering-Conservatives-with-vote-on-Hunting-Act
The Observer newspaper reported on our warning to the Conservative leadership against any amendments to weaken the Hunting Act 2004: https://www.conservativesagainstfoxhunting.com/2014/03/cameron-faces-tory-revolt-over-move-to-ease-hunting-with-hounds-the-observer-march-2014/
We worked closely with the League Against Cruel Sports, IFAW and the RSPCA to stop any threat to weaken the ban and were pleased when the Prime Minister said that any amendement would now not go ahead.
During the same month, we were delighted when supportive anti hunting Conservative MP John Randall gave a Ten Minute Rule Bill for a Close Season For Hares. John kindly thanked our Blue Hare campaign before MPs in the main chamber for assisting him on the issue of further protection of hares. http://www.bluehare.org.uk/2014/03/sir-john-randall-presents-a-ten-minute-rule-bill-for-a-close-season-for-hares-march-2014/
April
In April, We released our fifth joint statement against the badger cull to all Conservative MPs with the Chairman of Conservative Animal Welfare Suzy Gale, also Founder of Animals Worldwide charity: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Tory-women-seek-end-futile-badger-culls/story-21013559-detail/story.html
May
In May, our Blue Fox/ Blue Badger Co Founder gave a speech before the crowds outside Parliament on the Great Badger Trail March, alongside the Chairman of the Badger Trust and Peter Egan. The Blue Badger volunteers warned the Conservative leadership that the badger cull roll out will lose the Conservatives, votes in Middle England: ‘ http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Badger-cull-roll-lose-Tories-votes-Middle-England/story-21153723-detail/story.html
We also urged the Conservative leadership to drop the worn out hunting issue from the General Election manifesto: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Conservatives-demand-party-drops-worn-hunting/story-21110288-detail/story.html#ixzz329Yay7l
June
Baroness Angela Smith, Opposition Deputy Chief Whip and Opposition Spokesperson for the Home Office includes Blue Fox in her article on Politics First:’ Hunting is neither good for the country or the Conservative party. http://www.politicsfirst.org.uk/2014/hunting-is-neither-good-for-the-country-or-the-conservative-party/
August
In August, outside the High Court, Blue Fox gave a speech before the crowds and Bill Oddie to support the Badger Trust’s legal challenge against the badger cull.
Our Blue Badger letter against the badger cull to Environment Minister Elizabeth Truss was published on Conservative Home website, the leading website for MPs and their staff: The final message of the letter reads: ‘ Minister, isn’t now the time to cancel the needless practice of culling a protected species? It is clearly open to accusations of being absurd, given the crushing scientific evidence against it.’
The Western Morning News reported on Blue Badgers letter to abandon the badger cull: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Truss-urged-abandon-badger-cull/story-22818808-detail/story.html
September
In September, we co hosted a joint fringe event called’ Animals Matter’ with the League Against Cruel Sports charity at the Conservative Party Conference. We had three Conservative MP Speakers- Blue Fox patron, Dominic Raab, Anne Main and Neil Parish, the Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group For Animal Welfare in the Commons. The event was very well attended and Blue Fox was interviewed by the BBC on the hunting issue in response to Minister Liz Truss’s remarks on her support for repeal. Watch the video of the fringe event: https://twitter.com/BlueFoxCAFH
Minister Esther Mc Vey was presented with the Blue Fox and Blue Hare pin for her kind support against repeal and for a close season for hares. https://www.conservativesagainstfoxhunting.com/2014/11/minister-esther-mcvey-is-presented-with-the-blue-fox-pin-at-the-conservative-party-conference-2014/
October
In October, we were pleased to have a private meeting with the MP responsible for the Environment on the No 10 Policy Board to discuss animal welfare proposals for the new Conservative Manifesto. We put forward our 3 campaign objectives to exclude any pledges to undermine the hunt ban, to exclude any roll out of the badger cull and we proposed a commitment by the Party to reintroduce a close season for hares as soon as possible. We also put forward further animal welfare proposals for the manifesto which included a ban on live animal transports, CTV in slaughterhouses, meat labelling, the ending of bull fighting subsidies and many more animal welfare issues.
During this month, Lush Handmade Cosmetics launched their Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion to support our Blue Fox campaign. 100 % of the proceeds will be donated to our campaign. Thank you Lush!
https://www.conservativesagainstfoxhunting.com/2014/11/3061/ and can be seen on the Lush Handmade Cosmetics website: https://www.lush.co.uk/article/charity-pot-meet-worthy-causes
November
We released our new Blue Fox, Blue Badger and Blue Hare film in November to support our wildlife protection campaign objectives for the new manifesto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLoPfWVntww
Our Co Founder joined the League Against Cruel Sports with our Blue Fox Patron Sir Roger Gale, the President of Conservative Animal Welfare to celebrate 10 successful years of the hunt ban with cross party MPs in Westminster. The League launched their new report calling for a strengthening of the Hunting Act 2004. The Guardian reported on the calls to strengthen the ban and reported on Blue Fox as’
‘An increase in anti-hunting Tory MPs in the 2010 intake – grouped around Conservatives Against Fox Hunting, whose motto is “Don’t run with the pack” – has ensured that there is no likelihood of repeal in this parliament.’ http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/18/jail-those-convicted-of-illegal-blood-sports-campaigners-say
December
In late December, our Boxing Day press release’ A Modern Message for A Modern Manifesto’ was reported upon in national newspapers, including the Telegraph, the Sunday Express, The Independent, the Western Morning News, The Western Daily Press and BBC Radio Kent : https://www.conservativesagainstfoxhunting.com/2014/12/the-telegraph-independent-sunday-express-western-daily-press-bbc-radio-kent-western-morning-news-report-on-blue-fox-camapign-on-boxing-day/
A New Year Message for 2015 from Conservatives Against Fox Hunting- Blue Fox
At the start of a New Year we continue to hear the hunting lobby’s calls for a pledge to repeal or relax the hunting ban to be included in the 2015 Conservative manifesto.
The Country does not want a return of hunting with dogs. The latest Ipsos-Mori ( Dec 2014) poll on the issue shows that 80% of the country think fox hunting should not be made legal again.
The same poll shows that the opposition to hunting with dogs is equal in rural communities as much as it is in urban communities.
Conservative Party supporters do not want it. Blue Fox has six Conservative MP Patrons, and our campaign volunteers are comprised of Conservative Councillors, Agents, Conservative Association Chairmen, Agents, Conservative Women Organisation Committee members, Conservative Future members and Conservative supporters.
It is clear that even with or should we say despite the improving economy, the Conservative party is still seen as elitist by many and out of touch with the majority opinion. Calls for a repeal or relaxation of the hunting ban perpetuate this image. Times change and politics change. It’s time to remind the Conservative leadership that ‘Hunting with Dogs has had its day’. The Conservative party should stand up for the country, the constituencies, the party and say ‘No’ to the self-interested politicians who want a return of their sport and the hunting lobby and state ‘No Conservative government now or in the future will bring back hunting with dogs in a Conservative Manifesto.’
Founders of Conservatives Against Fox Hunting 2015
