"Blood sports of any kind have no place in modern Britain"
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
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6 Responses to “Animal welfare charities slam Jeremy Hunt over support for “barbaric” fox hunting”
NMac
Hunt demonstrates just how the Tories live in the past. Fox hunting is illegal and it will stay illegal. An Oxford University professor has described Hunt and his ilk as “possibly clever, but certainly stupid.” Hunt clearly wants to demonstrate just how stupid he is.