New polling published in advance of the vote on amending the Hunting Act in the House of Commons on Wednesday shows that only two in five people (40%) believe that hunting should remain a criminal offence. The same number (40%) believe that the Hunting Act should either be amended or scrapped. Two-thirds (68%) think that farmers should be allowed to cull foxes to protect livestock. The research, carried out by ORB for the Countryside Alliance, is based on interviews with 2058 people carried out from 10th – 12th July. Tim Bonner, Director of Campaigns at the Countryside Alliance, said: "This research buries once and for all the myth that a majority of people oppose hunting. Certainly there are people on both sides of the debate who have strongly held views, but the clear majority do not support the criminalisation of hunting."More than that there is overwhelming support for the right of farmers to cull foxes to protect their livestock."MPs will vote on amendments to the Hunting Act on Wednesday which would allow farmers and hunts to use packs of hounds to flush foxes so that they can be shot. We very much hope they will consider the needs of farmers and public opinion, and support the amendments".
For more information, contact the Countryside Alliance press office on 0207 840 9220 or email [email protected] or [email protected]