1. Conservative wantstomake fox huntinglegal
DavidCameron,whowasan enthusiasticsupporterof hislocal HeythropHuntbefore becoming
prime minister,will allowafree vote onlegalisingfox huntinginthe nextParliamentif re-elected.
Fox huntingwasbannedinthe HuntingAct 2004 by New Labouralongwithhuntingotherwild
mammals– but since itcame intoforce inFebruary2005 it hasbeenstronglyopposed.
Tim Bonner,chief executive of the Countryside Alliance,saidhe expectedamanifestocommitment
to repeal the HuntingAct.
He said:‘We fullyexpectthe Conservative manifestocommitmenttorepeal of the HuntingActto be
retainedin2015 and repeal orreplacementof the Actismatter of trust betweenthe countryside
and the Conservatives.If there isaconservative majority,ora Conservativeledcoalition,there must
be action onhunting.’
Labour meanwhile are expectedtoaccuse the Conservativesof beingoutof touchwithwiderpublic
opinionandonlyaddressingthe concernsof the privilegedelite.
Winsin May
A Conservativepartyspokesmansaid:"We are still decidingwhatwillbe inourmanifestoandwill
outline itscontentsindue course."
League chief executive Joe Duckworthsaid:"The HuntingActisthe most successful pieceof wild
animal welfare legislationinhistoryanditissupportedby80% of the Britishpublic.
No government,regardlessof the partytheyrepresent,shouldignore suchstrongpublicfeeling
A personcommitsanoffence if he huntsa wildmammal witha dog,unlesshishuntingisexempt.
A constable withoutawarrantmay arresta personwhomhe reasonablysuspects—
A personguiltyof anoffence underthisActshall be liable onsummaryconvictiontoafine not
exceedinglevel 5onthe standardscale.
