League Against Cruel Sports in chaos after CEO quits

The League Against Cruel Sports is in chaos after its CEO quit over Labour’s “betrayal” on their pledge to "ban hunting".

Andy Knott, a former army officer, is set to launch legal action against the charity and its former chairman and prospective MP Dan Norris, claiming that they attempted to silence his criticism of the “U-turn”.

Mr Knott claims Labour promised to close “all loopholes” in hunting laws but their manifesto contains a pledge to ban only trail hunting, which he described as a “smokescreen” which would have no impact.

The row back comes after warnings to the Labour leadership from the Countryside Alliance and intense lobbying.

Mr Norris, the Metro Mayor of the West of England, was selected to stand against Jacob Rees-Mogg just weeks after he was served with legal papers which allege bullying, harassment, and victimisation of a whistle-blower.

According to The Telegraph, it is alleged that he personally asked Mr Knott, who has led tours including in Afghanistan, not to criticise Labour for backing down.

Sources with knowledge of the legal action have now questioned the decision to select Mr Norris as a candidate whilst he is facing serious allegations.

Mr Norris left his post as chairman of the League late last month.

Mr Knott says that the League, which was instrumental in bringing about the original hunting ban under Tony Blair, is now just an “empty vessel of the Labour party”.

A former lieutenant-colonel and commanding officer of 2 Signal Regiment, Mr Knott says he was told by Steve Reed, the shadow environment secretary, in January that the party would pledge to “close the loopholes in the existing hunting laws on their manifesto”.

The former chief executive of the League, who formed the Time for Change coalition of 35 charities campaigning for a total hunting ban, said that “millions went into achieving that pledge”.

But by February he was “asked to let them remove it without kicking off” and “refused”, he has claimed on social media.

Mr Knott says that he is “hurt and gutted” that “after all I did to ban hunting” he was told by a “trusted colleague” that he is “not fit to be in the League”.

The Telegraph understands that letters before action were sent to Mr Norris and the charity in April and cases will be lodged with the employment tribunal and the High Court in the coming days.

When the Labour manifesto was published, it included a promise to ban trail hunting, a commitment welcomed by the league.

Mr Knott said: “Closing the loopholes in the existing Hunting laws covered strengthening the Hunting Act, and banning trail hunting, which is not part of the [act]. To just do the latter won’t work and the hunters might already have a workaround. It might be as simple as changing scent.”

Mr Knott described Labour’s manifesto pledge as a “betrayal”, a “sellout” and the “new smokescreen in hunting”.

He says that the League “sending postcards and prancing about in a fox costume won’t get back what they lost after I left. It cost me my job. They didn’t make a noise at Labour’s U-turn, because they are now an empty vessel of the Labour Party.”

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “It is disappointing that Labour is still in pursuit of the hunting community, but in rowing back from a more extreme position it has at least heeded some of our warnings.”

A spokesman for the League said: “The League is aware of certain statements being made by a former member of staff, but we are unable to comment further due to protections that safeguard all current and former employees’ data”.