http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/deborahmcgurran/2010/11/exclusive_no_vote_on_hunt_repe.html
A sign of the change in opinion is that there is now an organisation called “Conservatives Against Fox Hunting”. It was set up by Lorraine Platt a party activist in Surrey.
“We are getting tons of support from party members. There are lots of people like me who don’t want to be branded ‘cruel Tories’,” says Lorraine.
The new hunting season is getting underway and once again people are asking when the controversial Hunting Act will be repealed.
At one stage the Conservatives had promised that it would be one of their first priorities upon entering office. The coalition Government promised a free vote but so far no date has been set. Countryside campaigners have been told that with the economy in such a mess there are more pressing priorities.
That is true but there is another reason: those in favour of repealing the Act don’t have the votes.
“We’ve only got one shot at this – we’re not going to push for the vote until we know we have the numbers,” says one local MP close to the campaign.
Because of that we have been told by well informed MPs that Downing Street is not expecting to hold the vote until early 2012.
We’ve also learnt that a well organised operation is currently underway at Westminster to try to win new supporters. A list has been drawn up of MPs who are considered persuadable – they are being taken out for intimate dinners!
“It’s not just about whether or not you like hunting, it’s about freedom of expression and about changing a law that’s frankly unworkable,” says one MP from the East who’s closely involved in the campaign.
Taken from the BBC Politics East article
