Thoughts on the proposed ban on Trail Hunting

There are few issues on which I have as much respect for those who disagree with me as on the ban on hunting of live foxes with dogs.

I opposed and would vote to repeal the ban on hunting foxes because the animal welfare issues are far from clear - a point brought out by the report commissioned at the time by the very Labour government which passed the original legislation - and because I don't believe the people who passed the law understood either the impact it would have on the countryside or the difficulties of enforcement. However, I do understand those who do not think it is right to kill a live animal for pleasure.

Trail Hunting is however, if you will excuse the metaphor, a horse of a completely different colour. A trail hunt does not pursue a live animal, instead before a trail hunt a false trail is spread and the hounds and riders pursue an imaginary fox over a pre-planned course. During a properly conducted trail hunt there is no more risk of any animal being harmed than would be involved in taking the dogs for a walk through the countryside as part of the normal exercise that the animals need.

So my respect for those who who don't want to see the targeted hunting of live animals does not extend to the vindictive countryside-hating class warriors and ignorant brain-dead cretins who want to ban trail hunting. This egregious policy was in the 2024 Labour manifesto and the government is proposing to legislate - as if they have not caused enough damage to rural areas already (and this remains true after the partial U-turn on the Family Farm Tax, welcome though that is.)

The excuse used by supporters of this proposed ban is that although a properly-conducted trail hunt will not harm animals, they allege that a claim to be trail-hunting is being used as cover by people conducting the forms of hunt which are already illegal.

To which I would respond by asking, do you have proof of this?

If there is proof, then use it to prosecute those who are breaking existing law.

If there isn't proof which would stand up in court, ten it is utterly wrong and vindictive to criminalise a sport which does not cause harm to animals because you have an unproven suspicion that some of the people who practice it may be doing something else which you have already made illegal, instead of going after that illegal activity.

It is as ridiculous as banning all drivers because some drivers break the speed limit, or all cycling because some cyclists don't wear a safety helmet, or, if grouse shooting were made illegal, banning clay-pigeon shooting as well because some people might use the shooting infrastructure which existed to support clay-pigeon-shooting to hunt grouse.

I don't agree with them but I do accept that those who wanted to ban the hunting of live foxes, and stopped there, were motivated by a wish to protect animals. Those who now wish to criminalise a sport which does not involve hunting live foxes are motivated not by love of animals but by hatred of human beings - those they believe to be of the wrong class or social group.   


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