Tories serve minority who support hunting
LIVING in the Westcountry, I often wonder just how many people are involved in hunting as they are quite a few hunts around my location near Yeovil.
But hunts rarely share territory, preferring to manage their own vast domains. Invites to other hunts do take place but these are showcase events.
Just how many people are actually involved in hunting? Some hunt days there are 80 to 120 riders — usually during a bright dry day at the weekend — but during the week the field can be around 12 to 30 riders. Car followers are usually around a score and it's usually the same old faces that turn up.
If one is generous with the numbers, you may reach 500 active members and supporters for each hunt, but for the safety of my argument assume 1,000 members. With around 300 hunts in the UK, that would mean 300,000 people actively involved in hunting.
You can double or even quadruple this number but the total still remains tiny fraction of the population.
But for this small group of people, the Tory shadow cabinet are promising a repeal of the Hunting Act 2004 as soon as they take office. Joy, oh great joy, a return to hare coursing, stag hunting and perhaps otter hunting to preserve river stocks.
Last summer William Hague, who is in all but name the deputy leader of the Tory Party, met in London with the 400 members of the Master of Foxhounds Association and promised them a speedy end to the ban.
There was implied help from the hunters' VoteOK Tory canvassing group, made up of Countryside Alliance members.
Just who does this Tory Party represent? It looks like it's the people who own a horse, a country property and hunt!
Graham Forsyth
Fairway Rise, Chard
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by Nell Curran, Tiverton
Wednesday, January 27 2010, 2:06PM
“Typical misinformation from a pro-hunter - Nick Hunter has quoted 407,000 people marching through London to defend hunting and the wider countryside. The reality is that the hunting fraternity commandeered the march which, in the main, was in support of the countryside and not hunting. Many , many country folk find the cruelty of hunting with dogs absolutely aborrent and were peeved to hear this sort of propaganda issued by the hunting mob regarding the London march.”
by Tony, Exmoor
Tuesday, January 26 2010, 8:08PM
“Graham Forsyth has totally missed the point of the repeal of the Hunting Act. Look, we all know the Act was wrong. We all know it was founded on prejudice and vicious spite in some imaginary payback for the miners strike. Labour MPs have admitted in print all these accusations. We all know hunting is probably the most humane of all methods of fox control. We all know that the out-of- the- public- eye methods of fox control being used at present are far, far 'crueller' than hunting ever was. Why the debate? Repeal this shabby and unjust law at once - never mind waiting for a tory government: the lawis unfair and silly, founded on spite and ignorance..get rid of it, please.”
by SKoM, Cullompton
Monday, January 25 2010, 3:16PM
“Sarah, Surrey
Because it's the hunters who are looking for a change in the law whereas (depending on whose figures you look at) a majority of the rest of us are anti hunting - not just those that seek to disrupt hunts.
Therefore this is pandering to a tiny minority.
To be frank, who wants to spend time running the risk of being assualted but some of the thugs that hunting attracts. Mind you, they're only big men when sat on a horse or in their 4x4.”
by Gary Hills, Hertfordshire
Monday, January 25 2010, 3:08PM
“David Cameron is a disgrace and is unfit to be PM. This issue and only on this issue do we know his true intentions.
He would rather panda to a tiny fraction of society then deal with issues of most importance.
He seeks to bring back animal cruelty. What short of man is he. In his nasty attempt he would bring shame on the nation and ruin our crdibility around the world. How can Britian ever speak out against animal abuse when we have a person like Cameron leading us.
Nothing on earth would make me vote Tory. This sickening ignorance to thinking some people have rights to kill for fun is vile.
Cameron and any of his MPs and candidates who stand up for animal cruelty are living in fantasy land if they think people will suoport them..
Voting Labour is the best way to protect the ban. Labour brought in the ban and it will be Labour that protects is.”
by Sarah, Surrey
Monday, January 25 2010, 2:57PM
“Even if Graham's figures for hunt support are accurate, how about applying his methods to anti-hunt support? Most hunts never see an anti all year round, and those who regard themselves as "plagued" by antis seldom have more than 4 or 5 at most on the occasional dry, sunny Saturday. 15 would be regarded as a major hit, requiring antis to be bussed in from all over the region. 30 would be a mass hit, with antis arriving from all over the country, and that usually only happens once a season to one hunt.”