Will all Tories back hunting ban repeal?
THE Government says it intends to hold a "free vote" on repeal of the Hunting Act 2004.
Recent opinion polls show that about 75 per cent of the electorate is against hunting with dogs for sport, so what are the prospects for repeal?
I think the words "free vote" have different meanings to each of the three principal political parties. Nearly all Labour MPs would vote to retain the Act, but about 25 per cent of Lib Dems would vote for repeal, together with almost all Conservatives.
The Labour MPs would, in my opinion, truly represent the views of the majority of their constituents and the Lib Dems would honestly vote according to their conscience — but what about the Tories?
If their MPs are not subjected to the party Whip, and have a free vote, I find it incomprehensible that they would almost all follow their leader, David Cameron, a supporter of the hunting fraternity.
Incidentally, the parliamentary term "Whip" comes from the hunting field. All hunts have a rider known as the 'whipper-in' who ensures all dogs follow the leader of the pack.
Hunting with hounds for sport has been banned so how is it possible, in a democratic society, to continue to have Whips in the Commons?
John Phelps
Argyll Road, Exeter
Comments
by Norman Bryant, west sussex
Wednesday, June 02 2010, 7:59PM
“The poll that was carried out was instigated by the LACS and the questionaire was set in a way to produce a negative poll, it started with Badger Baiting and then Dog Fighting which are both very terrible tings to do and do nothing for Fox management but then they slipped in Foxhunting so not in a ay to get an honest pinion, The Tories are more tollerant of people judging for theirslves what they want to do and of course the majority of Labour MPs still class it as a sport for the Toffs, but Labour is well out of touch on this”