What makes a former cabinet minister with almost no personal experience of trail-hunting take up its cause? H&H hunting editor Catherine Austen explains all...

“It’s our way of life,” says Sir Ben Wallace. “The rural communities are under a whole range of assaults and at the heart of it, we survive as communities because we tolerate each other.

“That’s the difference between us and the ‘London bubble’ – we don’t all shoot and we don’t all hunt, and we don’t all play football and we don’t all play rugby, but we have always accepted each other’s pastimes and how other people live.

“It is fundamental to the freedom that I think is so important to this country.”

That is the essence of this distinguished former cabinet minister’s answer when asked why he is chairing Future for Hunting, the joint initiative between the British Hound Sports Association and the Countryside Alliance, to oppose the current Government’s manifesto commitment to ban trail-hunting.

There are, after all, a great many other things after 19 years as an MP and a long, highly respected tenure as Secretary of State for Defence he could be doing that would be much more attractive and much less controversial.

But Sir Ben is passionate about rural Britain and the quirks and variety of our countryside, and believes that if he can help see off this singularly illiberal and ill-thought-out attack on its people and their pastimes, then he should.

“After this, it’ll be shooting and after shooting, it’ll be racing,” he says. “I think it’s really about a line in the sand and I’m just not prepared to abandon a whole group of people, some of whom I know very well, and run for the hills.”

Sir Ben Wallace: “A man of the countryside”

Sir Ben says he has probably only been hunting on a horse a handful of times – he did beagle at Millfield School and at Sandhurst – but he was brought up in the village of Ditcheat.

This village in the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale country is where Paul Nicholls trains, is home to the Barber and Cobden families, and he and his sister were taught to ride by former Heythrop master and huntsman Charles Frampton’s mother.

He married into a Cheshire hunting family and has plenty of friends who hunt all across the country.

He’s a man of the countryside whose home, when he’s not in London or whizzing about the world, is in Cumbria, home of the Fell packs and his local hunt, the Vale of Lune Harriers.

After all, we have a surfeit of hunting knowledge between those fighting for our future – we don’t need that from Sir Ben; we need political acumen, experience and contacts.

He says: “I’m not trying to be the face of this campaign. What matters is that I use my political experience and whatever capital I have by going to see members of the Government and saying, ‘Do you really want this fight? This will be messy – do you really want it?’”

We are about two-thirds of the way through the consultation period that the Government announced on 26 March and which ends on 18 June.

Future for Hunting is pumping out communications to hunting communities, asking them to write to their MPs, to respond in various different ways to the consultation process, while submitting formal and detailed responses on our behalf.

Meetings are being held with key political figures, such as animal welfare minister Baroness Hayman, and funds are being raised for media campaigns and legal work.

“The Government don’t know how to ban a legitimate sport”

What happens when the consultation period ends?

“So the Government made its pledge to ban trail-hunting. What is absolutely clear is they don’t know how,” he says. “They don’t know how to ban a sport that is perfectly legitimate and which came out of their own Act [the Hunting Act 2004]. I think we have to persuade the Government now.”

He explains that sometimes governments know what they want to do once the consultation process is over, and act immediately.

“But also governments can use consultations to say, ‘This is all a bit difficult; we’ll push it into the long grass – this is easier said than done.’ That’s why governments don’t always fulfil their manifesto commitments – because it’s much harder than they thought when they were in opposition.

“It could be that at the end of this consultation, they don’t come back with anything for a year. It could be that it stalls if Keir Starmer falls under the political bus, they have a new leader, things freeze and priorities change. It could be that nothing happens at all – but it is much more likely that this Government is going to try to find some red meat to throw to the back benches, and this could be it.

“We’ll see what happens, but what’s really important is that the rural community says loud and clear to the 50 Labour MPs in rural seats that this shouldn’t be their priority right now. ‘You want to ban perfectly legitimate trail-hunting? You don’t seem to want to fix rural poverty, rural transport for schools, rural crime, pot holes… Is trail-hunting really your top priority right now?’”

Bringing the countryside together

Desperate as the hunting community is for some clarity about its fate, we’ve got to be patient, do what we are asked, reply to the consultation, lobby MPs and, importantly, unify as members of the countryside.

“We’ve got to bring the countryside together – it hasn’t always been easy in the past to get the major rural organisations to come together and be stronger in speaking out on a whole load of policy initiatives that this Government has, whether it is hunting, regulation on shooting, farm subsidies, inheritance tax and so on.

“We have to show the Government there is real political risk in what they are doing. If you view this as another attack on Britain’s identity, there’s a lot of jeopardy within Labour heartlands in that. What Jeremy Corbyn got so wrong is that outside of the London bubble, most Labour voters are deeply patriotic.

“And the other part of it is that rural people are predominantly the most law-abiding part of society, but we are now seeing a form of two-tier policing that when I was a security minister, we wouldn’t and shouldn’t have tolerated. There have been numerous failed prosecutions – there was one recently where the judge not only castigated the police, but also criticised them for falsification of evidence.

“Masked-up saboteurs – convicted bombers, people with ABH and GBH convictions – are aggressively bullying people on hunts and out in rural communities without being told to unmask. Whose side is the Government on? It’s an affront to our decency and our values. Policing should be without fear or favour.”

“We stand together or hang together,” says Sir Ben Wallace

There is a lot going on behind the scenes that cannot, publicly, be explained in detail; playing poker and telling your opposition exactly what cards you hold would be pretty stupid. This is also not the time to rake over the coals of the past regarding former strategies or in-fighting within the hunting community itself.

“I know how the Government works and, after many years of representing people in North Lancashire, I know that rural communities are being left behind. So I bring that [as Future for Hunting chairman], but I also don’t have favourites. I’m not sitting here with a load of history of one side of the argument [between factions in the sport] or fighting for one group within it. I’m only interested in preserving this for our grandchildren, in preserving the infrastructure.

“This Government isn’t going anywhere for three, four years, maybe. It might have a different prime minister, but I served five prime ministers as a minister.

“The reality is that at the last general election, the party with the manifesto commitment to ban trail-hunting got elected with a huge number of MPs. I can’t change that – none of us can. What we can try to do is to make sure the Government sees that this isn’t something it wants to have a big, ugly fight about. We’ve got to get to the next election – it’s as simple as that.”

Sir Ben comes across well. He is frank, direct, down-to-earth and engaging. He clearly has the appetite for this political battle and the ability to lead. If he can bring all the various countryside factions – the NFU, British Association for Shooting and Conservation, The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, racing, those that represent the horsey community – together to oppose a trail-hunting ban because of a wider, pressing concern about how rural issues are treated, then we have real power to make the Government actually listen to us.

“We stand together or hang together,” he says, and he’s right.

• To stay up to date with all the latest news on the Government’s consultation on how to ban trail-hunting, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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I have followed with interest the recent e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting organised by Mark Avery and supported by TV presenters Chris Packham and Bill Oddie. Under government rules they must consider for debate any topic reaching 100,000 signatures through such petitions.

Mr Avery launched a near-identical e-petition in 2014 and received support from just over 33,000 people. This time, after considerable effort, he has obtained more than 100,000 signatures, ensuring the issue will be considered for debate by government (a good thing too).

Quite why they have singled out grouse shooting is not clear to me but what is clear is that these people, and the League Against Cruel Sports, wish to nibble away at the shooting fraternity — as was always going to happen.

The saying goes “hunting, shooting and fishing”, so beware anglers — you too are odds-on to suffer at the hands of a future e-petition organised by a professional blogger like Mr Avery. Don’t forget those wishing to see hunting banned started by creating similar small debates back in the early 1980s.

I am pleased to say that any such debate brought about by an e-petition is unable to change the law directly, although the results of last week’s trial of huntsman Mark Doggrell — where the victim’s right to review meant the Crown Prosecution Service’s original decision not to prosecute was overturned, resulting in a three-day trial — was also a reminder of the power of the e-petition. Thankfully the jury saw sense and Mr Doggrell was acquitted.

Unbroken will and passion

At the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent (OSB&WK) we have attempted to adapt since the hunting ban by simulating a day’s hunting as closely as possible while remaining within the law.

We lay a fox-based scent over fields, through woodland and in hedgerows and ditches for our huntsman and hounds to find and follow.

We have an obligation to our subscribers, members and supporters to do so. We are invited by landowners and farmers to cross their country and our hunting community continues in much the same way as it always has.

We are a broad church and all are welcome. The will and passion of those involved in hunting was never going to be broken by a few bigoted individuals who did not understand our way of life, and we now know that unjust and bad law forced upon largely law-abiding citizens cannot flourish in our country. Thank goodness for that.

Hunting enjoys widespread support and it is no coincidence that at every agricultural show I’ve attended this year I’ve witnessed a packed main arena whenever a pack of foxhounds appear — be it parading, in a cavalcade or as a celebration of hunting. The same cannot be said for many of those who inhabit the same arena at other times of the day, often including the main attraction.

The OSB&WK have had our first few mornings’ autumn hunting and I found myself waking up at 2am, 3am and 4am just as I had some 45 seasons ago. We continue to respect the past and live in the present, but above all embrace the future.

I suspect Mr Avery and his supporters are singling out grouse shooting because they believe hunting is finished and it is time for them to focus on shooting. Hunting is thriving, not finished, and hunting, shooting and fishing must more than ever before stand shoulder to shoulder and support each other. After all, simulating a day’s shooting is just not possible.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 29 September 2016

Over a quarter of a million people turned out to attend Boxing Day meets across the country

More than a quarter of a million people turned out to show their support for hunting at Boxing Day meets around the country yesterday (26 December), according to figures released by the Countryside Alliance (CA).

On one of the biggest days of the year for hunting, more than 300 packs in the UK held their traditional Boxing Day meets in towns, pubs or in areas where large numbers of people could congregate safely.

The Cottesmore Hunt’s annual meet that had been moved out of Oakham town centre due to health and safety concerns, proved to be “very well supported in the new venue of a large car park kindly provided by Rutland County Council.”

One of the largest turnouts of the day was for the Heythrop Hunt’s annual meet in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, where more than 6,000 people attended to see hounds in the Square.

The Glamorgan Hunt in south Wales saw people lining Cowbridge High Street as they left the meet to cheers and applause, scenes that were replicated across the country.

Pictured above is the Southdown and Eridge Hunt that met in Lewes, East Sussex (photograph courtesy of www.arwphotography.co.uk).

The Holcombe Harriers met in Anglezark, near Bolton, Lancs where over 100 people were mounted and in excess of 2,000 people supported on foot.

Joint-master Sue Simmons said: “We were delighted to be able to parade our hounds in this traditional meet on Boxing Day and for so many people to be there to show their appreciation of country sports.”

Although there were no cancellations due to frost or snow — as would usually be expected at this time of year — some meets were affected by above average rainfall and flooding that had taken place across the country.

The Hunting Act 2004 came into force in February 2005 however the CA and the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) continue to fight for repeal of the Act.

A spokesperson for the CA told H&H: “The Hunting Act has failed — not one hunt has been prosecuted in the last year and more than 94% of those convicted under the Act have not been related to activities of registered hunts, they have been for poaching or casual hunting offences.”

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The failure of the present government to pass the sensible amendments to the current hunting legislation is lamentable.

Once again, common sense has become a casualty of Westminster politics. Our position is pretty wretched, with repeal looking highly unlikely in the short term. Ten years have passed since the Hunting Act; it is difficult to see it being any more likely with the passage time.

However there is a glimmer of hope in the unlikely guise of the new (old) Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. “Can it be?” I hear you cry, “that the anti-monarchist, anti-capitalist, anti-Nato and anti-defence of the realm Jezza is not only a fan of Hamas and the Russkies, but also a field sports supporter?”

Well… no. I think it’s highly unlikely. Can’t really picture him in plus fours, Purdey in hand, like Harold Macmillan or indeed, in a silk hat waiting with anticipation at the infamous covert Parsons Thorns, like Churchill.

However, the likelihood is that the Labour Party has just elected a chap to lead Her Majesty’s loyal opposition who will ensure they remain just that for some considerable time.

That leaves us with the Conservatives, from whom we receive the most support. It also leaves five, maybe 10, years to do something about the intolerable pressure under which many hunt servants have to work.

First, the sensible amendments proposed by the government need to be repackaged, so they can be seen to be just that. Somehow we allow the press to portray them as “a relaxing of the ban”, which they most certainly and regrettably are not.

They are, though, a sensible way of helping wildlife management at no expense to the tax payer. Wavering MPs need proper education and reassurance.

I am told that David Cameron is supportive of the countryside and understands our predicament. Given that he has signalled his intention to step down, it is worth noting that when it comes to hunting, it is highly unlikely that the next prime minister will give a flying fig.

Sometime soon is probably the last realistic opportunity to achieve a result. It is not the time to drop the bridle — now is the time to pick up the whip and use your full allowance.

Eager anticipation

Autumn hunting has, as usual, been a frenzied time. Most huntsmen, I imagine, need little persuasion to do the extra days required at this time of year; wholehearted devotion to their job is reason enough.

However, unlike times past, when the local MFH had little to do but run their hunt country efficiently, now, almost without exception, people taking on official roles in the hunt have jobs to do and bills to pay.

It would be easy to take for granted the extra effort required, but rest assured it is worth it.

Apart from the obvious benefits for hounds and important preparation for the imminent open season, it is essential to cover the whole of your country and fly the flag even in the least fashionable areas, and autumn is a good time to do it.

A recent television series Titchmarsh on Capability Brown featured Belvoir Estate and the efforts to complete plans made by Capability Brown for the fifth Duke.

Now, during the stewardship of the 11th Duke, the transformation is all but complete.

The Estate has undergone something of a renaissance during recent years, of the sort achieved only by single-minded determination. The season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness” sees the park at its best, which, combined with the anticipation of the season to come, makes autumn my favourite time of year.

Hardly a day goes by when I don’t appreciate my good fortune in occupying the position I do.

There is, naturally, a book by Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland to accompany the series. The launch of said tome took place in London recently and was by all accounts a grand affair.

There were gun dogs, tweed clad keepers — even a horse. And, representing the hunt, our second whipper-in — he doesn’t get out much and could barely conceal his excitement for the trip.

We sent two hounds to look after him and they kept him on a lead at all times. He was also chaperoned by the Ladies Violet, Alice and Eliza Manners who are, I am told, more used to the attentions of the national press and society pages than the whipper-in is. It has been cheering to see all three shun for a time the bright lights to appear in the hunting field this season.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 5 November 2015

The vote proposing amendments to the Hunting Act 2004 scheduled for Wednesday 15 July in the House of Commons has been shelved.

The dramatic move by the Government comes after it emerged last night (Monday, 13 July) that the Scottish National Party (SNP) was to vote against the proposals. Ever since the Conservative Party was elected as a ruling majority, there has been speculation over whether the SNPs would vote on this issue.

As recently as February, Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, said: “The SNP have a longstanding position of not voting on matters that purely affect England — such as foxhunting south of the border, for example — and we stand by that.”

This position now appears to have been reversed with the SNP saying they would be voting against the proposals to remind “an arrogant UK government of just how slender their majority is”.

In light of this development, Tim Bonner, director of campaigns for the Countryside Alliance, said: “We were very confident of achieving a majority of English and Welsh MPs in tomorrow’s vote, but it is understandable that the Government wants to postpone the vote to deal with the constitutional issues the SNP’s decision raises. Quite clearly this has nothing to do with the amendments to the Hunting Act under discussion.

“It is quite extraordinary that the will of English and Welsh MPs cannot be expressed in Parliament. A clear majority of MPs supported the amendments and we fully support the Government’s actions.

“We feel confident of winning this vote once the issue of English votes for English laws has been put to bed.”

The proposed amendments being brought forward by the Secretary of State in the form of a Statutory Instrument (SI) were going to vary the terms of exempt hunting. It was suggested these would have offered significant improvements for farmers who would have been able to decide how they control vermin on their land.

The changes included removing the “two dog” limit and allowing the flushing and shooting of foxes using packs of hounds — providing it was “appropriate” for the terrain and carried out as “efficiently” as possible. These proposed changes would have brought England and Wales into line with the law in Scotland.

Traditional hunting would still have remained illegal as the requirement to shoot foxes as soon as possible after they have been found would have remained.

The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), organised a demonstration outside Parliament today (Tuesday, 14 July) to protest against the proposed changes, and are allegedly now calling for amendments to be made to the current laws in Scotland.

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The Conservative Government is planning a vote on making changes to the Hunting Act 2004.

Although no date has yet been confirmed, it is believed the vote is scheduled for Thursday 16 July.

The suggested changes would remove the two dog limit and permit the flushing and shooting of foxes using packs of hounds.

The Secretary of State for Defra has powers to vary the terms of exempt hunting by use of a Statutory Instrument (SI). An SI, such as that proposed to amend the Act, cannot be used to “defeat the purpose” of the original legislation and therefore traditional hunting would remain illegal.

If the vote is passed in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it would be implemented immediately, and would therefore affect hunting in the forthcoming season.

The proposed amendments to the Hunting Act in England and Wales would bring the law into line with Scotland.

At this stage, there is no discussion of a vote on repealing the Hunting Act, which still remains the aim of hunting organisations and supporters.

A spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance said: “This is a step forward and will mean that farmers and hunts will be able to use packs of hounds to find and shoot foxes. Traditional hunting will, though, remain illegal.

“These amendments will bring the law into line with Scotland and ensure that farmers are able to choose how to manage the fox population in the most effective and humane manner.

“We still believe that the Hunting Act needs to be scrapped, but in the circumstances these amendments meet the immediate needs of the rural community.

“These amendments will bring the law into line with Scotland and ensure that farmers are able to choose how to manage the fox population in the most effective and humane manner.

“There is solid support for hunting amongst MPs and we believe that there will be a majority for these logical, evidence-based changes.”

The Countryside Alliance is calling upon all hunting supporters to contact their MPs to make their views known on the subject and to support this amendment to the Act.

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The arguments against the Hunting Act 2004 are straightforward. There was never any justification for the ban in the first place and it was no more than a misplaced attack on the rural community by Labour MPs. It has done nothing for wild mammals or their welfare, and even Tony Blair has admitted it was one of his biggest mistakes.

There are many who are willing to voice their views on hunting from a position of total ignorance, but there is also a quiet army of us who know that the ban is wrong. That quiet army has a real commitment to hunting and to the countryside.

So much so that in 2002, more than 400,000 of us came from all over Britain to march on Westminster in opposition to the ban. Support for hunting is just as strong now.

Now, for the first time since the Hunting Act came into force in February 2005, we have a Government that has been elected with a manifesto commitment to a vote on the repeal the Hunting Act. We can be almost certain that ministers will bring forward proposals to lift the ban, but hunting has always been a free vote issue for MPs (rather than a whipped vote), so the focus now moves on to lobbying MPs to ensure we win.

We must stress three important points to those MPs. First, it is unacceptable that some hunt staff and masters are being dragged through the courts on the basis of vindictive allegations, while the rest are constantly looking over their shoulders.

Second, the police are being forced to waste thousands of hours investigating pointless Hunting Act allegations which could be spent tackling real crime; and third, that the courts are spending weeks sitting on senseless cases that, in the rare example of guilty verdicts, see people fined a few hundred pounds.

The current situation is not a fudge or a compromise. It is an unjustified and illiberal attack on a rural minority based on nothing other than prejudice.

We all want to see this issue resolved for good, but that must be on the basis of principle and evidence, not an irrational prohibition.

Our aim is simple: properly conducted hunting activity as conducted prior to 18 February 2005 should be legal, and no one hunting in a legitimate manner should be looking over their shoulder concerned about criminal prosecution. There can be no compromise on that.

Commitment of a community

Hunting has never shied away from debates about proper wild mammal welfare legislation and regulation. The Government is aware of this and we will look at any proposals it brings forward and discuss them with the Council of Hunting Associations (CHA).

In addition the CHA has developed a detailed proposal for self-regulation through a “Hunting Regulatory Authority” should that be required. There is a clear will to resolve this issue once and for all, and an understanding that just repealing the Act, while leaving a vacuum, would be unlikely to achieve that.

To help achieve a positive outcome for hunting and for our hunt staff, we need to act now. We need every single person who opposes the illiberal and illogical Hunting Act to contact their MP and let them know their views.

You can send an email to your MP from the Countryside Alliance website

(www.countryside-alliance.org), but please don’t stop there, encourage your friends and family to act as well. We need you to lobby and to write, and to join as members of the CA both to support our work financially, and to show the size and commitment of our community.

Together we can send the strongest possible message to Westminster that the Hunting Act must go.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 4 June 2015

The RSPCA’s only pending prosecution of a hunt was dropped yesterday (Wednesday 18 March) due to lack of evidence.

Will Bryer, master and huntsman of the Cattistock Hunt in Dorset, had been charged with one offence of hunting a fox with dogs. The incident was alleged to have taken place on 2 December 2014.

A hearing was due to take place at Weymouth Magistrates Court on Friday (20 March).

However, the RSPCA has written to Mr Bryer’s solicitor Jamie Foster, stating it would not be pursuing the prosecution as there is no evidence on which they could legitimately continue.

The RSPCA had initially relied on video evidence collected as part of a covert surveillance operation by another animal rights group, the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“In the 10 years since the Hunting Act came into force no one involved with the Cattistock Hunt has been convicted of breaking the law,” said Mr Bryer.”I am very pleased that the RSPCA has finally seen sense and dropped the case against me, but there was never any justification for it in the first place.”

Last year an independent review into the RSPCA’s policy suggested that the charity needed to consider the significant costs of mounting such prosecutions.

The report, carried out by former chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Stephen Wooler, made 33 recommendations on the charity’s investigation and prosecution activity.

It advised that the RSPCA should continue its role as prosecuting body, but the organisation accepted it needed to adapt its approach to law enforcement.

One of the criticisms levelled at the RSPCA was the amount of money spent on prosecutions under the Hunting Act.

Tim Bonner, director of campaigns for the Countryside Alliance (CA), added: “This was the only outstanding prosecution of a hunt by the RSPCA and we hope it will be the last time the charity involves itself in such a case.

“There is a clear conflict of interest in a political campaigning organisation bringing prosecutions of this sort and the RSPCA should take the advice of its own independent reviewer and leave such allegations to be independently considered by the police and CPS.”

CA’s figures show that in 2013 — the last year the RSPCA carried out prosecutions of hunts before this case — 79% of the summonses issued by the RSPCA against hunt staff and supporters failed, costing more than £100,000 of tax payers’ money.

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Ten years ago, those charged with the everyday organisation of hunting were facing the unknown.

What had been a legal activity one day became illegal overnight, but those at the forefront had to keep the show on the road. Faced with adversity, the hunting community came out fighting and has continued to prove that the Hunting Act 2004 is an unworkable and bad piece of legislation that must be changed.

Keeping members of hunt staff positive, maintaining important bloodlines within kennels, and convincing farmers that there was still good reason to allow hunts to continue lawful activities on their land, while at the same time encouraging the young to pursue a career in hunting, all went on behind the scenes.

It was crucial to ensure that the new form of sport being provided to subscribers and supporters would sustain their appetites enough for them to continue wanting to renew their subscriptions. With the sport as popular as ever, this has to be considered a job well done.

Simply unacceptable

Being a master under the restrictions of the Hunting Act 2004 is not an easy role, but being a member of hunt staff is particularly challenging. Aside from the restrictions of the Act, there can be few other jobs in this world where a person has to suffer being pursued by total strangers, often wearing balaclavas and videoing their every move, in the hope that they break the law. This is simply unacceptable.

On behalf of all those who hunt, heartfelt thanks to those who have played their part in keeping our sport healthy and to ensure there is a future to look forward to.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 19 February 2015

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Ten years ago today (18 November) the Hunting Act 2004 was forced through Parliament and three months later, on 18 February 2005 it became law. H&H reminds you of the important dates along the road to the ban coming into force…

1949

Two private members’ bills to ban or restrict hunting fail to make it onto the statute books.

1992

A private member’s bill to make hunting with dogs illegal is rejected by the Commons.

Labour MP Kevin McNamara proposed The Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill, which was defeated on its second reading.

1993

Tony Banks, a Labour MP and animal rights campaigner, failed to get his Fox Hunting (Abolition) Bill passed by Parliament.

1995

Another Labour MP, John McFall, fails with his private member’s bill to ban hunting. The Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill passes a second reading in the Commons before being heavily amended and falling in the Lords.

May 1997

The Labour Party wins the general election and in its manifesto promises a free vote in Parliament on hunting.

5 November 1997

Michael Foster MP publishes a private member’s bill to ban hunting with dogs.

1 March 1998

Countryside Rally in Hyde Park — 250,000 protest against the bill.

13 March 1998

The Foster bill runs out of time during the report stage in the Commons.

30 May 2000

Labour MP Gordon Prentice proposes an amendment to the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill to ban the sport.

28 February 2001

During a vote in the Commons, MPs vote by a majority of 179 for an outright ban.

26 March 2001

The House of Lords votes 317 to 68 against the ban. The hunting bill runs out of time when the general election is called.

June 2001

The Queen’s Speech promises another free vote on hunting in parliament.

February 2002

Scottish Parliament bans hunting in Scotland.

September 2002

400,000 join the Liberty and Livelihood March to support rural life.

3 December 2002

Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister, announces the Hunting Bill, allowing foxhunting under a strict licensing system, but which would outlaw hare coursing and stag hunting.

1 July 2003

After five hours of debate, MPs vote to change the Hunting Bill into an outright ban by 362 votes to 154.

10 July 2003

A third reading of the Hunting Bill clears the House of Commons, 317 votes to 145.

21 October 2003

A cross-party group of peers in the House of Lords throws out MPs’ plans for a complete ban and replaces them with a licensing regime for fox and stag hunting as well as hare coursing, during the committee stage. Anti-hunting MPs vote for a total ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales, but the House of Lords rejects it in a vote before the legislation runs out of parliamentary time.

8 September 2004

Government announces plans for a free vote on the Hunting Bill — leading to an outright ban — before the session ends in November.

16 September 2004

MPs vote for a ban on hunting. A group of pro-hunt demonstrators break in to the House of Commons chamber while protestors are involved in confrontations outside Parliament.

18 November 2004

Commons speaker Michael Martin invokes the Parliament Act to push the bill into law despite the Lords rejecting the bill.

28 January 2005

A High Court challenge to the law is lost by pro-hunt campaigners.

16 February 2005

The Countryside Alliance loses its appeal that the Hunting Act is unlawful.

18 February 2005

The hunting ban comes into force.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (13 November 2014).

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As the 10th anniversary of the passing of the Hunting Act approaches — on 18 November — Vote-OK is warning hunting people not to be complacent about the current survival of virtually all hunts in England and Wales.

George Bowyer, Director of Vote-OK, says a new anti organisation, “Campaign to Strengthen the Hunting Act”, is a compelling reason why hunting people should work for a Conservative victory at the impending general election. David Cameron is the only party leader offering a vote on repeal of the Act.

“Under Labour, the current status quo is the ceiling from which we would be precariously hanging by our fingertips,” said Mr Bowyer.

Tim Bonner of the Countryside Alliance added: “As we approach the general election, hunting remains an unresolved political issue that still needs to be solved.

“The Hunting Act has failed at every level. There has been no attempt by any anti-hunting organisation to show improvement in the welfare of the quarry species since the Act came in.”

After 22 attempts to ban hunting with hounds through private members’ bills, Labour introduced the first government bill to abolish the sport in England and Wales in 2001, but it ran out of time due to the Iraq war. Despite two major protest marches, and numerous other pro-hunting demonstrations, Labour reintroduced its Hunting Bill in 2004.

It was only passed on 18 November after the Blair government controversially used the Parliament Act to overcome objections from the House of Lords. It was enforced three months later on 18 February 2005. Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has since said he believed it was a mistake.

Scotland’s anti-hunting bill was passed in 2002, but the Northern Ireland Assembly firmly rejected an attempted bill to ban hunting in the province in 2010, and is currently the only UK area where traditional hunting with hounds is legal.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (13 November 2014).

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John Cook, terrierman of the Lauderdale Hunt, has been cleared of an offence under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002.

He faced the prospect of becoming the first person to be convicted under Scotland’s anti-foxhunting laws, but was cleared on 5 August of releasing a fox from a sack in front of a pack of hounds.

Witnesses failed to identify whoever was alleged to have released the mammal, and all charges were dropped.

A spokesman from the Scottish Countryside Alliance said: “I think this was an unfortunate case in that the witnesses were genuinely mistaken at what they saw, in that it was not a fox and Mr Cook was not in charge of the hunt.”

First published in H&H magazine 28 August 2014

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An anti-hunting activist has been charged with aggravated trespass, assault and harassment of a North Wales hunt employee.

The charges relate to an incident on 28 January and footage that Chester-based Judi Hewitt took and posted online of the Flint and Denbigh Hunt’s countryman Rob Smith using a terrier to flush a fox from underground to a waiting gun, in accordance with the Hunting Act. No date has yet been set for the court case and Ms Hewitt has not entered a plea.

Joint-master of the Flint and Denbigh hunt Jeremy Reed said: “Rob was keeping to the letter of the law and had the full permission of the landowner. We understand that people do oppose fox management but we believe Ms Hewitt went too far.”

Tim Bonner of the Countryside Alliance added: “It is important that hunts realise that they can take action over harassment from activists. If hunts help themselves by collecting evidence and are willing to make a statement we can support their complaints.”

This story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (31 July, 2014)

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The hunting world has welcomed the RSPCA’s plans to change the way it carries out prosecutions.

Backlash surrounding expensive hunting cases has lead to a review, the results of which are due next month.

“The review will include a consideration of cases the RSPCA has prosecuted, including those involving hunts,” said an RSPCA spokesman. “Where the RSPCA receives complaints alleging illegal fox hunting, it will investigate them. A prosecution will only be brought where there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so.”

In 2012 the charity was heavily criticised after it spent £326,000 on a case against the Heythrop (pictured above). The RPSCA won, but at the time the judge questioned the “staggering” amount of money spent by the organisation.

Last year, former attorney general Dominic Grieve suggested an independent review into the prosecution policy following a number of costly, high-profile cases. This was undertaken by Stephen Wooler, former chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Tim Bonner, director of campaigns for the Countryside Alliance said the organisation was “glad” the RSPCA was “reconsidering its prosecutions policy”. “This is not just about hunting,” he added. “The charity’s increasingly political stance coupled with its dual role as an investigator and prosecutor concerns many people, so we look forward to seeing the full results of the report. We are currently working with the RSPCA to tackle fly-grazing and hope a return to the charity’s animal welfare roots will lead to us working on many more such projects in the future.”

Ray Goodfellow, chief legal officer of the RSPCA, added: ”We strive to be a reasonable and fair-minded prosecutor and this independent review will provide an effective external measure of our performance and highlight any areas of potential improvement. “We are committed to providing accountability and transparency in this very important area of our work which we recognise has a considerable impact on people’s lives, as well as for the animals we seek to protect.”

Earlier this month H&H reported how donations to the charity had fallen from £112m in 2012 to £105m last year — leaving the RSPCA facing fresh questions over whether its political activity and prosecution policy is alienating its support base.

First published in Horse & Hound magazine on 31 July 2014

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The latest figures released by the Ministry of Justice show 110 people were charged and 56 found guilty of an offence under the Hunting Act 2004 during 2013 — but just 6 people allied to registered hunts have been convicted.

The figures — which exceed the previous high of 92 in 2009 — have been labelled misleading by countryside campaigners.

A Countryside Alliance spokesperson said that “these figures were further evidence that the Hunting Act is flawed, as so many of the cases brought under the Hunting Act do not actually involve hunts and could have been prosecuted under other legislation.”

This news-in-brief was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (17 July, 2014)

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A drop of £7million in donations has left the RSPCA facing fresh questions over whether its political activity and prosecution policy is alienating its support base.

In a statement released last week, the chairman of the RSCPA Council, Mark Tomlinson, said that the charity’s financial situation was “clearly unsustainable” after a “net cash outflow” of £6.1m last year. He announced that as a result the charity would be forced to restructure, resulting in job losses.

The RSPCA has received negative publicity in recent years for spending large sums of money on bringing prosecutions under the 2004 Hunting Act.

In December 2012, the charity was heavily criticised by media and the public for its £326,000 prosecution of the Heythrop Hunt — 10 times that of the defence cost.

Last December, the RSPCA announced it had hired former chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service Stephen Wooller to review its prosecutions policy.

The charity’s chief executive, Gavin Grant — who pushed the charity’s political stance — resigned in February due to “medical concerns”.

The director of campaigns for the Countryside Alliance, Tim Bonner, believes the drop in donations is a “direct reaction” to the RSPCA’s recent political agenda.

He said: “The RSPCA is now at a crossroads and it is a critical moment for the organisation. People across the board are unhappy at the direction it has taken.

“We hope that it can accept this and refocus on its core work, which is vitally important.”

But the RSPCA told H&H that the claim donations are falling because of its political stance is “not borne out by the figures”.

It has been reported that there was a £5.7m drop in donations from legacies in wills and only a £1.3m drop in public donations.

A spokesman said: “Income always tends to go up and down but was at its highest in 2012, which was the year when we were being accused of being our most political, so this clearly isn’t the reason.

“It was legacies that were down last year and these are decided by those who chose to leave money to the RSPCA years in advance of us actually receiving the money.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (10 July, 2014)

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Over 50 files burnt, 10 preserved for posterity; the flotsam and jetsam of nine years at the helm of the Masters of Foxhounds Association [MFHA].

It represents a lot of paper and effort, covering subjects as far removed as hawks, breeding of dogs regulations in Wales, the global work of the opposition, a draft Hunting Regulatory Authority for the UK, ventilation in kennels, point-to-point racing and more.

Has it achieved anything? Yes and no. Disappointingly, we are no further ahead politically in our efforts to change the Hunting Act 2004.

But we have preserved the infrastructure of hunting — a framework that is operating satisfactorily and in a way in which we thought impossible in the dark days when the Hunting Act became law in 2005.

Furthermore, we have a happy and united ship, which is more than we can say for our opponents, LACS [League Against Cruel Sports] and the RSPCA.

The MFHA leadership has a charismatic and wise new chairman in Lord Mancroft, an experienced working peer. He will receive ample support — as did I — from his executive.

The Countryside Alliance (CA) has a dream team that will successfully “manage” the change needed to adjust to modern lobbying and instant communication.

And the Council of Hunting Associations — drawn from the leadership of all “hunting with dogs” groups — works well as a debating chamber. It will put CA strategy for the future of hunting under the microscope and secure co-operation.

We have probably made insufficient efforts to open our windows to the

public — something we should have done since 1949.

We are told by the experts that 95% of the population could not care one way or another about hunting, let alone the more cerebral arguments that are fundamental to its defence: welfare of the quarry species and wildlife management. This is frustrating.

What does impress the public, especially those who have a hard time controlling one dog, is the skill of our huntsmen, who handle 20 couple of hounds or more.

The CA initiative of “Hounds to Towns” needs new life and support from all masters. They would do well to undertake a manageable schedule of public appearances throughout the summer months, with particular attention to having a “schools day” at the kennels. We have slipped behind on this essential PR work.

Under the same heading of winning public support, while most hunts take special care when they are operating near centres of the rural population, we must continue to ensure that members of our community follow that.

During my time of office, I have been stunned by the tenacity, courage and hard work of masters. Planning and executing a day in the field is five times the work it was when I retired from hunting the Heythrop in the late 1980s.

Many more people have to be alerted to the presence of hounds in the area; then there is all the paperwork required to confirm we are hunting within the law. But dedicated people are still willing to take the job on so that “regular service is maintained” for subscribers and supporters.

It is highly satisfactory that there are so many new recruits to the ranks of masters, staff and followers. This has added an extra element to the work of the hunting associations: teaching.

It is vital that skills in kennel and field, manners and dress codes are passed down the generations.

As I drove away from my ninth and last MFHA AGM as chairman, I was delighted that so many people had attended. But there were too many gaps in the ranks of young masters and amateur huntsmen.

The “old brigade” of MFHA executives is working through a process of handing on responsibility for our future to younger men and women. A high proportion of executive positions will soon be filled by some of the young amateurs.

The first Tuesday in June — the traditional date for the MFHA AGM — should be carved in stone in all our diaries.

Those who did not attend this year missed vital updates that cannot be reproduced on paper. There was also a fascinating presentation by Ian Coghill, chairman of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust on shooting: a topic that affects every country in the land.

I have been so privileged to be allowed to lead the MFHA and to have a chance to put back so much of what hunting has given to me and my family.

Of one thing I am certain: hunting and hounds will continue to flourish.

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Any young huntsman taking a new position on 1 May — the beginning of the new hunting year — will be fortunate indeed, should he inherit a list of good puppy walkers.

It would behove him to make certain that the seasoned walkers know how much their efforts are appreciated and to nurture with care the new ones.

Puppy walkers are second only to farmers as the lifeblood of the hunt. Their value is above the price of diamonds. A good start for young hounds is an essential ingredient to a happy working life and a good walk ensures a good start.

The kennels van has been clocking up the miles in recent weeks, delivering hound puppies to their various “walks”.

In days past, they were frequently delivered on horseback carried in hessian sacks slung either side of the saddle. An unenviable chore, usually delegated to the first whipper-in, whose task it was to hawk them around.

The lack of telephones made arrangements difficult — they just had to turn up and hope for a good reception. Sometimes the local ale house proved a good bet, in the hope of catching a farmer in a relaxed frame of mind before offloading a couple.

Modern antibiotics and inoculations mean the survival rate of whelps through to maturity is virtually 100%, barring accident. Consequently, the Belvoir send out around 20 couple to walk, all of which return to kennels in rude health.

Prior to the Great War, the hunt would send out over 100 couple to combat the high mortality rate, largely due to distemper. They were delivered with a bottle of “tonic” and a spoon. I assume the tradition of gifting puppy walkers with a silver teaspoon engraved with a hound’s name arose from this practice.

For the hoi polloi, not fortunate enough to be invited to the puppy show, many hunts hold an open day. The Belvoir are to hold theirs on the first day of June. This provides ample opportunity to access Belvoir Park in all its springtime splendour.

It is a good time to catch up with old friends in the environs of the historic kennel and hounds. Any dyed-in-the-wool foxhunter could not fail to be moved by a visit to the Belvoir kennel.

To quote Wordsworth: “Dull would he be of soul who could pass by a sight so touching in its majesty.”

There will also be much scope for being parted with some hard-earned moolah but, be assured, all in the best of causes.

Hot on the heels of the open day comes the puppy show and the kennels are currently receiving the annual assault from paint pot and brush.

Many kennel visits and hound parades loom on the horizon, as well as a number of judging engagements — always a pleasure no matter how often I get it wrong. It all goes to substantiate that adage “there is no peace for the wicked”.

When comes to exercise, I never let hounds down completely after the hunting season; within a few weeks we dust off the kennel bikes.

Following generations of old bone-shakers with no gears, missing spokes, wonky handlebars and non-existent brakes, two years ago I invested in a new bicycle. As good as it gets without an engine, it has an odometer that so far has registered just short of 900 miles to date and no puncture. Can I claim this as a record?

I read with a heavy heart recently that Jeremy Paxman is to retire from presenting Newsnight. Paxman — once tipped as a Countryside Alliance board member — never sat quite right with the BBC metro left. They in turn couldn’t quite bring themselves to give him the heave-ho because of his immense popularity.

I recall with pleasure that he put the last nail in the coffin of an early attempt at a hunting ban in 2002. With his characteristic disdain for the establishment, he challenged Kevin McNamara MP to tell the difference between a hare — illegal to hunt under the proposed act — and a rabbit (legal). Needless to say he could not.

If I had a good reason to pay the licence fee, he was probably it.

This article was first published in the 15 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine

Government plans to vote on overturning the hunting ban look likely to be abandoned.

In the Coalition agreement, it was stated that MPs would be given a free vote on the Hunting Act.

But senior Conservatives have now reportedly decided there is “no point” holding a vote before next year’s general election, as it is thought that most MPs support the ban.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has also said that even if the vote went ahead, the Liberal Democrats would not agree to scrap the Act.

The Hunting Act was introduced by Labour in 2004 and no amendments have been made to it since.

“Reports the Government may not fulfil its promise of a free vote on repeal are no surprise, given the lack of any agreement on the future of hunting in Parliament,” said the Countryside Alliance’s Tim Bonner.

“It would be pointless starting a debate just a year before the next election. But the hunting ban remains a pointless law, which the Government has done nothing to improve in the past 4 years.”

Earlier this year, H&H reported that the Hunting Act is unlikely to change any time soon, after the Prime Minister said it was doubtful a Government agreement would be reached.

Welsh hill farmers argued that a change was needed due to an increase in fox attacks

on lambs.

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The hunting world has been awash with lively discourse on political strategy for several months.

The Prime Minister recently announced to the House that a minor amendment to the Hunting Act 2004 (England and Wales) made by Statutory Instrument (SI) would not be brought forward.

The SI would have greatly aided hill farmers, in particular, to tackle fox predation on their livestock.

He seemed disappointed, though probably not as much as the rural leaders craving a signal of positive intent towards repeal for their field army, eager to work hard at the next election.

Accounts vary as to how the SI mets its sticky end – Coalition disagreements, stalling mandarins, panicking Tory MPs in marginal seats to be won, have all appeared on the blame radar.

Some MPs, nervous of negative press, were opposed or at best ambivalent for reasons of their own perceived electoral expediency. Plus ça change.

The hunting community at large feels disappointed and let down by an administration that claims, with good reason, to be the most sympathetic in modern times but hardly acts as such.

If the SI had been brought forward 12 months ago when it was first on the table, and not subjected to incomprehensible delays, the outcome could have been very different.

But we are where we are and a dose of political reality must be taken. The real losers are, of course, the hill farmers and the fox.

Stephen Lambert, chairman of the Council of Hunting Associations, commented that: “All of us who are interested in countryside issues will have to reassess the ‘rural credentials’ of all politicians as we approach the general election, before deciding where to apply our energy on the streets.”

In generations past, general elections were decided by the numerically class vote. Nowadays, the main parties clamour for the middle ground, courting their idea of the urban middle class.

This is seemingly at the expense of a slice of the electorate starting to look elsewhere to cast their vote.

Falling into the sweaty embrace of the populist UKIP would not be such a good idea, although the country will probably give itself a ghastly fright at the May European elections.

Imagine the ridiculous chaos that would have ensued if the party’s policy on hunting has been enacted after the last general election.

The UKIP-POTH (policy on the hoof) demanded each county hold a referendum on repeal.

Some packs hunt in as many as four counties, sometimes three in one day. Splintering the vote would reduce hunting’s support in Westminster.

Rural voters, including hunt supporters, want to feel enfranchised and not taken for granted. Our loyalty needs to count.

“Listen to us” chanted by over 100,000 people in 1997 at the Countryside

Rally in Hyde Park should still echo loudly around the corridors of power.

The best chance of repeal lies in a healthy Tory majority. It is the only

show in town that could deliver it and the highly regarded Vote-OK must be

more stream-lined and concentrated in its support. It should be a mutually

advantageous relationship.

It may be a perverse repercussion, but whatever the outcome of the referendum on Scottish independence, hunting in England and Wales may benefit.

Of the 59 Scottish MPs in Westminster, currently 41 are Labour and Tories have just one. So those of a more Machiavellian disposition might proffer that an independent Scotland would make a future Tory majority in Westminster – and therefore real – more likely.

However, hunting may be a totemic issue but it doesn’t want to be blamed for the break-up of the union – nor would any Prime Minister like it on their watch.

A “no” to independence could kick-start a series of proposals, the outcome of which may too benefit hunting south of the border.

“Devo-max” [full financial independence] of the Scottish Parliament could see a trade-off resolution of the West Lothian issue, whereby Scottish MPs are not allowed to vote in Westminster on issues concerning England and Wales.

Interesting times are ahead. Help might arrive in some form from Scotland, but there needs to be a Tory manifesto commitment that, in the event of a working majority, there will be an immediate post-general election bill in Government time.

With a fair wind, next season could be the last under the Hunting Act.

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The Countryside Alliance has lost its latest bid to overturn the government’s ban on hunting with dogs.

The Alliance had asked the Court of Appeal to rule that the ban in England and Wales was in breach of human rights legislation, but this morning three judges upheld the original High Court ruling that the ban was lawful.

More coming shortly.

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The Hunting Act 2005 is to be challenged in the Court of Appeal next week. The High Court rejected the challenge brought by the Countryside Alliance (CA) last July under the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights, but the CA decided to appeal.

Both cases will be heard by the Court of Appeal in a five-day appeal hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, London from 13 – 15 March and 20 – 21 March. Sir Anthony Clarke (the Master of the Rolls), Lord Justice Buxton and Lord Justice Brooke will hear the appeal.

Although the High Court rejected challenges to the Hunting Act under European Human Rights Legislation and under European Trade Law, judges did agree at the time that the ban would have a “substantial general adverse effect on the lives of many in the rural community in England and Wales.”

The Countryside Alliance anticipates the Government will challenge this finding, relying on the fact that many hunts claim to be enjoying increased support this season. However the group is convinced this situation is “purely a show of opposition to the law” and that the long term impact of the ban will be significant and negative.

 A large part of the CA’s challenge next week will centre on the court’s justification for the Hunting Act. The appeal will challenge the court’s proposed “legitimate aim” of the Hunting Act (to prevent unnecessary suffering, to “protect morals”) and the lack of evidence available to identify this aim.

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