Cameron defends hunt

[Pineberry]

oh dear

The hunting ban was one of the reasons I voted labour last time.
It's the reason why i'm not voting tory this time.

If you go for "there're bigger things to worry about", then nothing ever gets done - there's always something bigger to worry about.

It fills me with dread that this will be dragged up again. MPs have better things to debate. It's been dealt with, albeit in a long-drawn-out & very expensive way all round, but at least there is a compromise - the hunters can still dress up & draghunt, and the non-hunters saw the guts knocked out of a sick 'sport'.

I'm with J0807bump - I live in the country & don't want a return to hunting. As Riven said, if a fox is a nuisance, shoot it/trap it. You don't need to chase it for two hours first.

That's if you think foxes are a nuisance. I've heard people complain about foxes getting into henhouses - er, padlock?

Where my ILs live, an awful lot of damage is done to crops by rabbits. There aren't any foxes there, which is a shame.

I don't see how worrying about foxes - which are vermin not matter what side you're on - can ever be seen as being at the top of anyone's list of priorities.

I'd rather know what's happening with: education, nhs, income tax, national insurance, care for the elderly, help for carers, immigration, the economy ....once all that's sorted i'll give Basil Brush a thought.

I think hunting is awful. I am vegetarian, and hate the idea. On most things, I am definitely with the Tories - especially the liberal Tories of the Cameron mould rather than the "Turnip Taliban" type. On this though, they are utterly wrong.

For some reason, the Tories feel this is a class war thing rather than a animal welfare thing, and they feel it's a big deal. It's a huge mistake - there are far more important things to worry about.

However, Labour have a ropey record on animal welfare. The hunting ban is good in principle, but terrible in practice - it hasn't actually stopped any hunting and only a tiny handful of prosecutions. And the needless foot-and-mouth cull resulted in
far more animal deaths than foxhunting ever did.

The best way to improve animal welfare is to have stricter controls and inspections for abbatoirs, bans on battery farming, and more transparent labelling on imported meat.

i care.

i woudnt vote tory as im anti hunting with dogs. no matter how much anyone argues, its still a cruel "sport", and its for people who like a good adrenalin fuelled chase cross country to catch and rip to bits a fox. i see nothing sporting about it. if this were to happen to any domestic animal it would warrant a criminal conviction.

Fox is dead by the time it gets ripped to bits though

so why bother mitchy?

For me, hunting is hardest on the horses. The bits they use are looking more like medieval torture tools (bits are the metal things that go in their mouths), and their noses and mouths are strapped up like egyptian mummies (flash nose bands and american gags). Can people not control their horses without force anymore?

Have you ever seen a horse have its tendons fired after its been hammered for a season? Makes the foxes job look positively appealing.

I live in the countryside and realise there is a problem with controlling fox population. Shooting is problematic as they are quick - and can easily sustain a wound which is not fatal - but die slowly, after weeks of suffering.

Foxes need controlling - but I'm against traditional hunting for the sake of the horses.

longfingernails - will you find it difficult to choose who to give your vote?

Pineberry

No. This is way down my list of priorities.

The Tories are wrong on this, but right on so many other, more important, things.

Specifically I think they are right on the economy, on national insurance, on civil liberties, on education, on transparency and governance, on their national citizenship scheme, on a less federal Europe, etc.

Their stance on hunting is very disappointing but hardly surprising.

thanks for that ...but can you face seeing Cameron's smarmy face on your screen every night?

I know a few farmers. The ban hasn't stopped anyone they hunt with carrying on as normal. In fact the numbers have grown - the ban has made it more appealing. They are no longer obliged to publish the details, now it's illegal, so they can hunt without the Antis being alerted. Win win for them.

I wasn't in favour of the ban. Not a hunter myself and clearly shooting is quicker but although there are more efficient ways to kill a fox one used around here is poison. A slow painful death in a hole doesn't seem right either. And no fun for the locals - who mostly support hunting even if they don't do it.

I have noticed a few (like half a dozen in last six months) people wearing pro hunt sweatshirts

novel

"thanks for that ...but can you face seeing Cameron's smarmy face on your screen every night? "

Oh lord wont that be a blessing from smarmy peter meddlesome and sulky Brown, not to mention Banana Boy and toilet brush boy.

"who is banana boy?"

David Miliband.

Ed miliband (because of his unrulely hair that wont lie down ).

'Well, if I was given a choice of ways to be executed, being shot would probably be near the top of the list; being chased for my life and then ripped apart by dogs would probably be near the bottom'. Have you ever tried to shoot a fox moving at speed? They'd generally end up with a shot leg or other non vital body part and limp around for days, dying a painful and prolonged death.

The ban on hunting was a class issue not an animal welfare one.
If the government were so concerned about animal welfare they would have banned battery hens, etc.

Everytime you hear the antis talking about hunting they always refer to "toffs" and "posh people on horses" what has that got to do with anything?! I've never hunted a day in my life, but have plenty of friends and colleagues that have - not one if them can be described as a toff or posh.

think this thread rather disproves your point cavemum. no one on here has object to hunting on grounds of class. i couldnt give a rats arse tbh about someones class, but i do think hunting is cruel, i think hare coursing is cruel, i think badger baiting is cruel, i think hunting with dogs is cruel and cannot see how a persons class makes is any more or less so.