Tim Bonner: Hunting's phoney war

A manifesto pledge commits a government to act within its parliamentary term, but it does not lay out a timetable. Whilst Labour will almost certainly, therefore, bring forward legislation to “ban trail hunting” at some stage in the next five years it seems unlikely that it will fast track that process.

The government has so far gone out of its way to present itself as a serious administration focused on the big economic and social issues of the day. Even within Defra there are pressing priorities in bedding down the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) and tackling pollution by water companies which are much higher on the political agenda than hunting with dogs. Ministers know that a diversion as frivolous as hunting legislation early in the parliament would leave them wide open to criticism that their priorities were completely out of touch with the countryside and the country as a whole.

Obviously, the animal rights movement thinks differently and will continue to push for hunting legislation as the most urgent requirement for parliament. Apart from with a few on the left of the Labour Party that argument is unlikely to gain much traction, although that does not mean that the government will not have the full support of its MPs when it does choose to legislate.

What this means is that we are likely to have a significant period of phoney war where animal rights campaigners and their supporters in parliament will use the usual devices to put what pressure they can on the government. Expect questions to Ministers, Early Day Motions, amendments to any vaguely connected legislation and all the other parliamentary graffiti that MPs use to ensure that the government cannot forget its commitment on hunting. The ballot for Private Members’ Bills - which allow backbench MPs to bring forward their own legislation - happened last week. Those MPs at the top of the list will have an opportunity to present their bills to parliament and a realistic chance of getting legislation on the statute book if they can generate cross party support. I have no doubt that anti-hunting organisations will be promoting a new hunting bill, although none of the MPs at the top of the list have a track record on the issue. We will be keeping a close eye on this process and are discussing our own proposals for useful legislation on outdoor education and animal welfare with MPs who have been successful in the ballot.

In the meantime, hunts have one job and that is to show that they are operating legally and properly so that the justification for legislation is reduced and the eventual requirements of any new law are limited. To that end the British Hound Sports Association has organised a National Trail Hunting Day on Saturday when nearly 30 hunts will be inviting all comers to see how trail hunts operate. Do support your local meet if you can. This is a really positive event which must mark the start of a consistent effort by the hunting world to show that trail hunting is a legitimate and properly regulated activity. The phoney war over hunting may well last for years and that will provide a crucial opportunity to challenge misconceptions and prejudices. That is an opportunity we must take if we are to avoid legislation that would have a fundamental or even existential impact on hunts and the hunting community.