Animal welfare charities slam Jeremy Hunt over support for “barbaric” fox hunting

"Blood sports of any kind have no place in modern Britain"

Photo: NHS Confederation

Two of the country’s biggest animal welfare charities have condemned Jeremy Hunt’s comments that he would vote to revoke the ban on fox hunting.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Hunt said on Wednesday that he would “vote to repeal the ban on fox hunting”. 

Hunt described the practise as “part of the countryside” and “part of our heritage”, leading animal rights charities to condemn the practice as “barbaric”.

PETA director Elisa Allen said that “blood sports of any kind have no place in modern Britain.”

She added: “Oscar Wilde described fox hunting as ‘the unspeakable chasing the uneatable’, a sentiment that, 14 years after the Hunting Act came into force, reflects the views of the British public.”

Allen said that she would expect Hunt to “protect the most vulnerable and helpless” if he becomes Prime Minister and that he “should be conducting himself in a manner that reflects British values” rather than endorsing the “sickening pursuit and killing of animals”. 

The RSPCA echoed Allen’s response. In a statement, the charity said: “Fox hunting is a barbaric and brutal practice that has no place in civilised society.  

“Repealing the Hunting Act would not only mean a return to cruelty but would fly in the face of the opinion of the majority of the general public as 84% of people say they are against legalising fox hunting.”

Theresa May promised the Conservative Party a free vote on repealing the ban on fox hunting ahead of the 2017 election, however, the plans were dropped after she failed to win a majority.

Joe Evans is a freelance journalist and editor. He is on Twitter: @joeevanswrites

6 Responses to “Animal welfare charities slam Jeremy Hunt over support for “barbaric” fox hunting”

  1. Tom Sacold

    Foxhunting is dead and buried. It’s not going to come back.

    The real scandal is that of the huge growth in the use of legal loopholes for the non-stun slaughter of meat.

    Our animal welfare and cruelty laws should be enforced uniformly. There should be one law for all in our country.

  2. Tom Sacold

    25% of all lamb meat produced in the UK is now subject to cruel non-stun slaughter.

    This must be stopped.

  3. Nina

    Hunt is nasty..how dare you..animals have hearts

  4. Patrick Newman

    You mean Halah slaughter, Tom. A sly little dig at Muslims. Have you transferred your membership to the Brexit Party – enjoy the rantings of that daft old bat AKA Anne Widdecombe!

  5. Patrick Newman

    In the current ‘arms’ race of promises by the two white male public school boys for the Leadership of the Tory Party and with a long way to go we might end up with promises to bring back national service, corporal punishment and hanging! Forward to the past with the Conservatives!

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