Tim Bonner: Action for hunting

In the 1980s left wing urban councils would declare themselves 'nuclear free zones' despite the fact that nothing resembling a nuclear reactor, let alone an inter-continental ballistic rocket, had ever been near their inner-city patch. The modern version of this virtue signalling madness seems to be banning trail hunting on land where trail hunting does not take place.

Last week a Labour councillor moved a motion to ban hunts from council-owned land in North Northamptonshire. It is doubtful whether there is even an acre of council land which is used by local hunts but that, of course, is not the point. Thankfully the wise councillors of North Northamptonshire, having been lobbied by the Alliance and many of you, rejected the motion. One councillor concluded that: "time in the council chamber should be dedicated to debating real issues of concern to local residents."

The trail hunting debate in Northamptonshire comes on the back of a series of such motions involving councils across the country. Most have been rejected by councillors, and those councils which have adopted such a pointless policy have attracted plenty of criticism.

In addition, animal rights activists have been targeting town councils where hunts hold Boxing Day meets. The huge support hunting continues to generate from across the rural community obviously grates with them. The Alliance reacts swiftly to these campaigns and delivers support for hunting, but we also need to be ahead of the game. Please complete our e-lobby which will send a message to your local council that there is huge support for trail hunting and let us know if any strange anti-hunting motions appear on your council agenda.

And alongside this activity it is incumbent on everyone involved in trail hunting to challenge the perception that not all hunting activity is legitimate. From foot followers to huntsmen, from the smallest pack of beagles to the grandest hunts, we all need to be clear that, however ridiculous the law might be, we are operating within it. It is a quirk of history that hunting has become a sort of social and political touchstone which attracts far more opposition and attention than is reasonable or logical. Because of this, hunts will however, always attract more attention than nearly any other group and have to operate to higher standards than other activities. That will mean hunts not just operating legally, but having to show very overtly that they are operating legally.

It may also mean that hunting has to regulate itself in a way which addresses both the certainty that allegations and insinuations will be made, and the challenges posed by the current perception of some trail hunting. The Alliance is fighting for hunting at every level from local councils, to the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly, to Westminster. We will always oppose unjustified restriction and prohibition, but we are also determined to promote a sustainable future for hunting even where the law is far from ideal.

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