NC: Now, later in the programme if I may before you go, we’re hearing a claim that the fox hunting ban is being flouted more than another law. Are you going to repeal the ban?
DC: Well we’re going to have a free vote in the House of Commons.
NC: But what are your instincts?
DC: My personal view is the ban has been a, is a mistake. I always opposed the ban…
NC: You’re a hunter though aren’t you you’ve been hunting?
DC: I have in the past. I always thought that the ban was a mistake because I think it is very difficult to enforce. I think it’s somewhere where the criminal law shouldn’t go and I think that the mess we have now pretty much proves that. But it will be a free vote. There are, MPs take different views, there are Conservatives in my party who support the hunting ban, it will be a free vote in the House of Commons and if the ban if kept it’s kept and if it’s repealed it’s repealed.
NC: And will you go hunting again if it comes back?
DC: I personally have got other things I’m hoping to do.
NC: No but if you had any spare… what is it, you’ve been hunting, for those who don’t understand it because it’s a tremendously divisive issue, explain the joys of hunting.
DC: Well I was born, I’m a country boy, I was brought up in the countryside and I love walking in the countryside and riding in the countryside and every aspect of growing up in the countryside. I was taught to fish by a wonderful grandfather. I was taught to shoot rabbits by my dad. You know and I’ve always been a country boy and I went hunting as well.
NC: And was it for pest control or was it just for the fun of chasing the fox?
DC: Well people like, if you like riding and people like riding across the countryside and it’s an opportunity, and lots of people do it together, it’s an opportunity to see parts of the countryside you never see before. That’s a lot of why people go and it’s part of something that happened, something that happened in the countryside for a very many years.
NC: People against it would say you can do that without killing an animal.
DC: Yes of course that’s true and I do, I like riding. But the point is that the fox population has to be controlled – every farmer will tell you that and every farmer will also tell you that the methods now being used in more case gassing & shooting and trapping and snaring, are as the Burns inquiry itself found, very very cruel and the case on animal welfare grounds for the hunting ban I’ve always thought was very very weak. But as I say it’s a free vote issue. This is something I would never whip any party members to have. It has you’re right been a divisive issue, I think the right thing to do now that the ban’s been in place to have a free vote and to see whether people want to keep it or not.
27 comments ↓
Actually most farmers will tell you that the hunts have been encouraging the breeding of foxes for decades by creating artificial earths all over the countryside. Most say that a groundsman would lose his job for killing a fox humanely because these hunters need to pretend they are pest controllers to justify their perversion. As for the free vote concept – who is Cameron kidding. The CA and Vote OK made sure that most if not all new shortlisted candidates were hunters or pro-hunt to begin with.
M.Hayworth
Campaign For Decency
I heard the interview all credit to Nicky Campbell for putting him on the spot about hunting. It can never be defended. I have lived in the countryside all my life most of the people I know have a great love of foxes and have no truck with people who want to hunt them to exhaustion then watch them being torn apart, its not normal human behaviour. |Cameron represents people who feel they are superior to everyone else and the laws of the land do not apply. Its interesting that although I would never support either practices such as Badger baiting, hare coursing dog fighting which are traditionally carried out by working class people find themselves in front of the court, and vilified by the press (quite rightly so) but people who fox hunt are seen as traditional people breaking a law that is not enforceable.
M.Hayworth unfortunately supports the far right wing UKIP who have a leader who is a leading and senior member of bloodsports organisation the Countryside Alliance. Ms Hayworth’s political agenda would actually mean less anti-hunt MPs in Parliament and the ban repealed. She is anti-Labour.
Hounding a creature to its death and ripping it apart for jollies. And Cameron’s excuse is that it’s a nice way to go sightseeing?
I have voted Conservative at every election since 1979, but I could not live with myself if I voted for this return to barbarism. Show the conclusion of a fox hunt on TV and see what public opinion ensues.
It’s got nothing to do with pest control. If a farmer sees a fox he shoots it. The idea that a farmer would get on the phone and call up the local hunt to kill a fox is ludicrous….
We all know the hunting ban was brought in as revenge for the miners strike!
Personally, I am all for the repeal of the act. I have seen the mess one fox can do to a grown sheep. I also have no romantic view of cute little Basil Brush and the big nasty hounds. Its much less violent that what happens on Hackney housing estates after dark!!
Came on here looking for stuff about DEBill but whatever, just had a quick read of this. Sounds like actually the first time Dave has any idea what he is talking about. Not that it brings him anything other than a micro percentage closer to being even remotely qualified for PM. [Eton without any experience of the real world should be an instant disqualification anyhow]
So: M.Hayworth you are completely stark raving mad; what on earth are you talking about with your breeding foxes claims! Being an organic farmer’s son [very much not a tory toff family] your claim about ‘most farmers’ is beyond crazy. And Chris you’re pretty nuts too, CA is hardly a bloodsports association; it is pretty conservative and so on but not single issue organisation.
Anyhow pointless as everyone has go so closed minded they will probably never change their ways. Ho hum.
Gassing foxes is illegal (well there is no product legally licenced to do it) so I am inclined to think that cameron is talking out of his behind as usual.
Farmers don’t care about hunting- they care about livestock prices, TB, F&M and other more pressing concerns ruining their livlihoods.
Ridding an area of a wild animal only creates a vacuum, which nature abhors (dontchya know) – so, kill one fox and within a week, another fox has taken over the territory of the dead one.
Intelligent farmers know this and leave the foxes alone. They know it’s their responsibility to keep hens/lambs in situations where they are safe from foxes (it’s very rare for a fox to take a lamb – sick and dead ones yes, but not healthy ones)
Be honest hunting people, you enjoy a good blast over the countryside on your horses. You enjoy the kill.
It’s a real heartsink moment to realise that in the 21st century so many people are so totally ignorant about the ways of animals living in the wild.
Here’s some info for Ken, the organic farmer’s son who believes that hunts don’t breed foxes and that the Countryside Alliance, spawned by the British Field Sports Society, is not a bloodsports organisation.
During the Burns Inquiry into hunting practices, oral evidence sessions were held at which Simon Hart of the Countryside Alliance was asked to explain why artificial fox earths were maintained in hunting country.
He replied “The purpose of artificial earths is to encourage fox populations to live in an area where you expect to find them, can find them and then can safely hunt them…It is simply a way of knowing, if you are a huntsman, that you can go to a specific area of the country with a better chance of finding a fox than otherwise would be available.”
I think that clears up both of Ken’s misunderstandings.
(info taken from http://www.huntinginquiry.gov.uk )
We all know its about not upsetting the Tory grass roots voters. But there is a misconception that all “country people” are in favoiur of all “country pursuits.” I was born and bred a country girl and I’ve always loathed fox hunting
david cameron and his pathetic excuses as to why he enjoys fox hunting,,,,,,,hooray henry only does it for the scenic views my backside!!!!!
Why has fox hunting not been more of an issue in the run up to the election? It has rarely been mentioned. The News channels do not show protesters.
As for Cameron fox hunting for the view, that like saying being hit over the head with a rolling pin is cooking, the man’s eyes betray everything he says and does not say
The excuses given for fox hunting are as far as I am concern totally incomprehensible. The toffs call it a sport,it is nothing of the kind ,it is bloodletting from previous bloodthirsty societies. If the countyside is overrun with foxes (unlikely) then by all means kill a small number humanely but for the likes of Cameron and some of his cronies to try to make it legal again is a disgrace.
hunting is without doubt the lowest of the the low, and i was considering backing him in the election but ive read this i would rather have anyone els but him in,
What a slimy excuse for a man Cameron is! This has little to do with the rest of the Tory policy and everything to? do with the fact he is willing to totally disregard the 75% of British people who support the ban, use the fact that the nation is focused on the economic crisis to slyly slide this into the Tory manifesto to please himself, his father-in-law and his old school pals. His utter contempt of the real people of this country shines thru here and if he told me it was sunny, I’d go to the window and check! Hunting with hounds is vile and un-necessary.
i like fox hunting. i always support them rest of my life. why not you come to maryland, usa ? so you can do fox hunting there.
david cameron has just lost my vote i would not help put him into number 10 even if he was the last hope any one who can justify the killing of any animal for pleasure is not somone i respect or trust im so sick of them all but if we can have barbaric practices howabout bringing back capital punishment at least the scum who committe murders deserve it
Does this really justify posting? Any countryman will tell you that hunting with hounds is the most humane and natural way of fox control..I farm livestock in a hill area and we used hounds all the time until this incredibly silly law came into being. It was NEVER anything to do with animal welfare but about appeasing the nutty left of the labour party. Lets get rid of it and bring common sense into government.
All the people that support fox hunting on here should hold their heads in shame. It is disgusting the way the dogs rip these foxes apart. The hunters say it’s a sport (What a joke that is) and say country people support it, which isn’t true as most country people support the ban along with 75% of the UK. I will never vote A scumbag called David Cameron solely for this reason. Fingers crossed the ban stays.
I am so worried that this terrible ConDem coalition Government will repeal the anti hunting legislation.
The problem is that this is not a whipping matter for the Labour Party, disgusting individuals like the unmentionable Kate Hoey support hunting. Frank Field abstained. If the left are not united in supporting a ban on hunting and animal cruelty no wonder that this is issue has not been to laid to rest. Let’s start by deselecting all Labour MPs who support hunting.
Yes, I am one of many labour voters in my area who voted successfully for Lib Dem in the belief that they would go with labour. THAT’S THE FIRST & LAST TIME FOR LIB DEM WITH ME !!!
NEVER AGAIN!!!
ANY party, without exception! which supports any blood sports and killing of animals of a small minority just for their enjoyment are sick and should not be allowed to stand as representing the majority of the people!!
The Burns report did not find any evidence that Fox Hunts control fox number and also that foxes had no significant effect on lamb deaths.
David admits that it is the horse ride that gives the pleasure, why introce cruelty into it.
to start with do any of you antihunt people belive a farmer would let a sea of horses wreck their land for no reason?
no, they let them do it because they have seen 1st hand the amount of damage one fox can do too a herd of sheep or in a chicken pen. and they dont kill them for food just kill them and leave them stone cold. people who actually participate in the hunt dont do it to kill the animal rather to gallop a horse through the country side. So before you il informed judge just think a little eh?
A little information for R Campbell. If there are 12 chickens in a chicken house, and a fox gets in, he will indeed kill all 12. He will take one, and then return every night for the next 11 nights to take another, thus ensuring a food supply over time. An old time farmer told me this, and once sat in his armchair inside his chicken house with his shotgun across his knees. He didn’t have to wait long.
So, R. Campbell, before you call anti hunt people “ill informed”, maybe you should think a little and get your facts right.
I think that it is unfair of the hunting fraternity to put so much pressure and wave funds in front of MPs to repeal the ban. I have viewed foxhunting sites and they put forward the idea that it is only ‘emotion’ that makes people against this bloodsport. Not so, it was the grinning face of a hunt follower digging out a terrified fox screaming in fear and the horrific process of ‘cubbing’, note they don’t put that on the page.
Also the patronising way of saying that ‘ordinary’ people support them, as though everyone against animal torture is just jealous of the perceived ‘noble’ status! Plenty of people from all walks of life are against this barbarity. factory farms are a lot more cruel than the fox.
Leave a Comment