'Don't turn back clock on cruelty'
A poll has found that nearly two thirds of people in the East Midlands want fox-hunting to stay illegal.
The poll was carried out by YouGov for the League Against Cruel Sports and asked people if they supported a change in the law to make hunting foxes with dogs lawful again.
It found that 62 per cent in the East Midlands would not support plans for hunting to be made legal again and the proportion of people in the region who would support a change in the fox-hunting law was 29 per cent.
The ban, brought in under the Labour government, was first enforced in 2006.
The Conservatives had hoped to change the law back, and have promised MPs a free vote on the issue.
However, following the party's failure to secure a majority in the House of Commons, change seems unlikely to happen.
Douglas Batchelor, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Bloodsports are a thing of the past and the public don't want the clock turned back to cruelty. We also know that the balance of opinion in the House of Commons is firmly against repeal of the Hunting Act, and so it's time the hunters got the message that it's game over."
A total of 2,125 people took part in the YouGov poll carried out earlier this month.
However, local fox hunts are still going strong, using different techniques such as hunting with birds of prey.
Alice Barnard, spokesman for Leicestershire's Quorn Hunt and chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "We're spending lots of time talking to MPs from across the house about why the Hunting Act has failed.
"There have been only four prosecutions while millions of pounds has been wasted on failed prosecutions and hours of police time.
"There are more important things they should be dealing with.
"People who understand the countryside believe the Act should be repealed."
A Leicester supporter of the Fernie Hunt, who did not want to be named, admitted it was unlikely the ban would be repealed during the current parliament.
He said: "The Conservatives haven't got a majority to do anything at the moment so it's all hypothetical."
This year, the annual Christmas hunting meets are due to take place around the county at 11am today.
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by j, leic
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 6:53PM
“"I do not carry any particular torch for the fox hunting fraternity, but find it bemusing in the extreme that they get unrelenting venom and abuse, yet nothing is ever said about the ritual barbaric slaughter of millions of animals daily for so-called halal meat. Why is this?
David, Enderby"
Are you on drugs???!!! Nothing is ever said??!?!! Erm, I remember clearly the nationwide hysteria when it was revealed that much supermarket and restaurant meat was Halal, replicated on these very comments pages. People making the most ludicrous claims about Halal meat and claiming that it was a symbol of Muslims wanting to take over the UK!
David, why do you not show the same (fake) concern for Jewish kosher methods of slaughter?
I suggest you educate yourself:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2010/sep/20/halal-meat-the-truth”
by David, Enderby
Tuesday, December 28 2010, 1:20AM
“I do not carry any particular torch for the fox hunting fraternity, but find it bemusing in the extreme that they get unrelenting venom and abuse, yet nothing is ever said about the ritual barbaric slaughter of millions of animals daily for so-called halal meat. Why is this?”
by Jen, Leicester
Monday, December 27 2010, 10:38PM
“Julie, Leicester, (grew up in rural Cumbria). You have said what I would say. So I just want to back you up. Spot on !”
by Julie, Leicester, (grew up in rural Cumbria)
Monday, December 27 2010, 8:58PM
“Whether it's a yob on a sink estate or a toff on a pony (or anyone inbetween) I think it says something very sinister about your personality if you enjoy tormenting and killing animals.
As someone who grew up in rural Cumbria (home of foxhunter John Peel) I also very deeply resent the suggestion, often made, that this cruelty is something 'country' people understand and support and 'city' people do not. How dare people suggest that just because you are from -or live in- the country you favour and somehow understand taking pleasure in killing animals. It is deeply insulting to suggest that country people have a greater blood lust than city dwellers. I do not, never have, and never will support fox hunting or other blood sports and that stands wherever I live.”
by Arden, Braunstone
Monday, December 27 2010, 8:45PM
“Only 5 or 6 prosecutions is true. Perhaps because they are obeying the law of the land. Commendable from a section of society quick to damn those who do not”
by Norman Bryant, west sussex
Monday, December 27 2010, 8:34PM
“Well as most thngs you have it wrong, I certainly would not believe a thing that came from the LACS, they tell lies and should not retain their charity status, also the ban came in at 2005 and here has only been about 5 or 6 convictions due to that act, a waste of time many think.”
by Reuben, Enderby
Monday, December 27 2010, 6:03PM
“No Nick, you do not need to be a yokel to understand it; just to take note and remember some of the reasons offered by pro-hunters when the ban was first proposed, as to why it should not be allowed to become law. "It would cause widespread unemployment in the countryside" was one plea."Hundreds of hounds would have to be 'put down' " was another claim. On this site and others I have over a long time invited anyone from the pro hunting fraternity to provide evidence of either of these forecasts proving to have been the case. Realising of course that not everyone views this site, nor indeed reads the Leicester Mercury, no-one has yet, to my knowledge, presented the evidence I have called for. I was born in the country and for many years worked on farms, so qualify
as being a yokel. I have kept poultry and on one occasion lost fifty head of poultry to a fox. Bad as the loss was for me I did not blame the fox. It was my own fault for not ensuring the fowl were adequately protected. As for fox hunting being a sport, Bah Humbug !”
by Geoffrey Woollard, South East Cambridgeshire
Monday, December 27 2010, 4:43PM
“"A poll has found that nearly two thirds of people in the East Midlands want fox-hunting to stay illegal."
Good for the people of the East Midlands. I hate equally fox hunting, hare coursing, stag hunting, etc., because I can't cope with the idea of killing animals cruelly for 'fun.' All of these so-called 'sports' have one thing in common: they are practised to provide a sick sort of 'fun.' And I write this as a former Conservative activist, as a farmer, and as a born and bred countryman.”
by fat tim, Cooooooolville
Monday, December 27 2010, 3:40PM
“I am very partisan on this issue, and believe hunting to be unnecessary and cruel.
Foxes do not need to be controlled, farmers need to look after their livestock better. If foxes have little food they will not have so many cubs. In times of abundance they will have many cubs. Many people don't realise this. Hunters do. This is the reason why they deliberately protect many fox dens and encourage them to breed. It makes sure they have "sport" through the winter months.
Foxhunting as a way of controlling "pests" is neither efficient nor particularly effective, and definitely not humane.
Finally, just because we view something as a pest does that really give us the right to hunt it down and murder it? I don't believe it should.”
by Nick, Here
Monday, December 27 2010, 2:50PM
“"I for one am against any animal cruelty in any form.
to me fox hunting barbaric and i have never understood the pro hunting argument, on one hand they say, its needed to keep fox numbers down to help the farmers.
then another group will say . well its ride and social part we enjoy, wedont catch hardly any.
So which is it"
Sorry, this doesn't make any sense.
Do I need to be a yokel to understand it?”