Hunts urged to support Conservative candidate in Corby by-election
Hunts are being urged to support the Conservative candidate in the Corby by-election – to ensure that a pro-repeal MP is returned.
The by-election, to be held on 15 November, was triggered by the surprise resignation of Tory MP Louise Mensch.
Corby, Northants, is a marginal seat and it is feared Labour could overturn her 1,951 majority.
George Bowyer of Vote-OK – the lobby group that supports pro-repeal MPs – told H&H he wanted hunting people to take an “active role” in helping Tory candidate Christine Emmett.
“We are organising people to go and campaign for the Conservatives,” he said.
“All the local hunts have received, or will soon receive, information about how to help.”
Christine Emmett, a local businesswoman and county councillor, told H&H that she supported repeal.
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“It is quite clear why the ban was brought in and why it should be repealed,” she said.
Labour candidate Andy Sawford is not thought to support repeal. His office did not return H&H’s calls.
Labour is currently 10 points ahead of the Tories in the polls.
Conservative blogger Tim Montgomerie said Mrs Emmett was a very good candidate, but warned she would have “an uphill struggle to keep the seat blue“.
Labour and the UK Independence Party (UKIP) have been campaigning intensively. Journalist James Delingpole has also thrown his hat in the ring, on an anti-windfarm platform.
George Bowyer urged hunt supporters to do all they could to help.
“Hunting people need to regain the sense of the outrage that we all felt in 2002-03,” he said.
“Every time they go hunting under the new regime, they should think, ‘This is outrageous, it should be repealed’. In order to get repeal, we need to get the right people in,” he added.
To get involved contact Vote OK at info@vote-ok.org.
This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (27 September 2012)
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Flora Watkins spent several years working for BBC News before moving into print, first as a staffer at Horse & Hound, before going freelance.