The Hunting Act - ten years of not working

Director of Campaigns Tim Bonner writes on the 10th anniversary of the Hunting Act: As you are no doubt aware, today is the 10th anniversary of the Hunting Act coming into force in England and Wales. The Countryside Alliance's press office has been working at capacity in the past few weeks, dealing with media bids for the anniversary, and our thanks to, amongst many others, the Masters and Staff of the Bicester, the Berkeley, the Beaufort, the Old Berks (Huntsman Michael Scott is pictured) and the Kimblewick, for yet again accepting the opportunity to talk about hunting as it is now, and explaining why the Hunting Act has not worked.

Notable coverage has included a fair piece in last Sunday's BBC Countryfile, and if you missed it you can watch it via the BBC iPlayer here. Matt Baker and Tom Heap were on presenter duty, speaking to Henry Berkeley, Master of the Berkeley Hunt, Capt Farquhar, Master of the Beaufort Foxhounds and Beaufort Huntsman, Tony Holdsworth, Welsh farmers in the Brecons, animal welfare consultant Jim Barrington, former Defra Minster Alun Michael. Presenter Tom Heap also spoke to Michael Stephenson of the League Against Cruel Sports and asked him about trail hunting. He asked Stephenson: "Would you like to see the hunts vanishing?" and Stephenson responded "yes." As the Western Morning News went on to opine: "Ten years ago it was happy to see the traditions – minus the pursuit and killing of quarry – continue. Douglas Batchelor, former chief executive, spoke in warm terms in 2005 of hunts "preserving their social scene" commenting positively on the spectacle of the hounds, of riding out and of preserving the livelihoods of hunt servants. Now, ten years later, Michael Stephenson, director of campaigns for the League says they want all hunts to close and drag hunting – once supported by the League – to be banned. That is not the stance of an organisation happy with the hunt ban as it stands."

With the General Election on 7th May, this is as good a time as any to ask "what next?" Using today's anniversary to make the announcement, the Labour Party has today pledged to keep the Hunting Act in place should they win in May, while the Prime Minister has only this week told a supporter that the Act is "illiberal" and "broken", while again promising a free vote on the issue.

Whatever your political leanings, as a voter and as someone who cares about the countryside and its people, you should ask yourself one thing: do you want to retain a law passed to discriminate against people who hunt, or get rid of it and replace it with something that actually improves animal welfare and wildlife management?

Make no mistake, our work campaigning for hunting and working alongside hunts helps to ensure that hunting can survive. If you have yet to join us, do so here.

Follow Tim on Twitter @CA_TimB