‘An all-out war on the countryside’: Government accused of ‘warped priorities’ as trail-hunting ban consultation opens

The Government has been accused of having “warped priorities” as it launches its consultation on how – not whether – to ban trail-hunting, “in an attempt to distract from real problems”.

Defra announced today (26 March) that its consultation on the ban it promised before the 2024 general election has opened. Hunt supporters have been urged to wait a few days to respond, to ensure a unified response to this “assault on rural communities”.

“The news comes at a time when the Labour Government has already caused mass rural uproar with its family farm tax and proposals to restrict shotgun ownership and gamebird shooting, as part of what critics have branded an ‘all-out war on the countryside’,” a Countryside Alliance spokesperson said. “Rural pubs and businesses are currently facing unprecedented hardships as a result of Government policies and the ongoing war in the Middle East.

“Trail hunting contributes £100m to the rural economy every year, contributing to local economies, sustaining rural employment and supporting a wide network of small businesses – from farriers and feed merchants to country pubs and suppliers – across hundreds of constituencies.”

The Alliance pointed out that the last Labour Government spent 700 hours of parliamentary time debating the Hunting Act, which banned foxhunting but allowed trail-hunting.

Chief executive Tim Bonner said: “At a time when the countryside is on its knees as a result of misguided Government policies and a cost-of-living crisis heightened by war, the Government has again chosen to attack rural communities with another assault on rural life. A ban on trail-hunting is unnecessary, unjustified and unfair.

“This is nothing more than the Government attempting to distract from the real problems facing British people. Voters care about the countryside, the food on their table and cheaper energy bills; not toxic culture wars.

“With two in three voters believing that the Government does not care about the countryside, Sir Keir Starmer is running the very real risk of causing a permanent schism between Labour and the countryside. If the Government continues down this path, it will do nothing but confirm to rural people that Labour has warped priorities and a fundamental dislike of the countryside.”

Trail-hunting ban consultation

The Alliance cited a recent poll carried out by research specialists ORB, which found that 65% of voters feel Labour “unfairly neglects” people living in the countryside. Asked what the Government’s top priorities were, not one person mentioned banning trail-hunting.

Polly Portwin, director of the Alliance’s Campaign for Hunting, told H&H the team is analysing the consultation, which is open until 18 June, and will be issuing guidance to help people respond to it, so MPs know the true depth of support. H&H will share this as soon as it is available.

Ben Wallace chairs Future for Hunting, the joint Countryside Alliance and British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) campaign.

“When the Government should be focused on delivering for rural Britain, choosing instead to prioritise an ideological attack on a lawful countryside activity sends a troubling message about where its true priorities lie,” he said.

“This is clearly a misguided approach from Government coming at a time when all their focus should be on the cost of living and mitigating escalating fuel prices; an issue that disproportionately affects the countryside. The countryside deserves better than policymaking driven by prejudice rather than practical reality.”

Serious and immediate consequences

BHSA managing director Oliver Hughes added that a ban would have “serious and immediate consequences” for jobs, livelihoods and animal welfare.

“Thousands of people are directly and indirectly employed through hunting-related activity, and around 12,000 hounds are currently maintained and cared for by hunts,” he said. “Ministers have yet to explain what provision would be made for those hounds, or for the rural workers whose incomes depend on this sector.”

A Defra spokesperson said the consultation is part of the Government’s delivering of its manifesto commitment.

“Trail-hunting is where hounds follow a pre-laid animal-based scent across the countryside, mimicking traditional hunting,” a spokesperson said, adding that it “can result in wild animals, including foxes and hares, being injured or killed by dogs, as well as household pets in some cases” and that “concerns also persist around whether trail-hunting is being used by some as a ‘smokescreen’ to facilitate illegal hunting with dogs”.

H&H has asked Defra for the evidence on which these statements are based.

A “complex issue”

“We want alternative practices such as draghunting and clean‑boot hunting, which use non‑animal scents, to continue to thrive,” the spokesperson said. “We recognise that hunts can support jobs and local businesses, and bring people together across the countryside. We are committed to ensuring that responsible rural pursuits, where there is no risk to our precious wildlife, can continue.”

Animal welfare minister Baroness Sue Hayman said: “We pledged to ban trail-hunting in our manifesto and that is exactly what we intend to do.

“The nature of trail-hunting makes it difficult to ensure wild and domestic animals are not put at risk of being killed or injured – that is clearly unacceptable.

“We understand that this is a complex issue and so we are seeking views from everyone with an interest to help shape how we bring this forward.”

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