Huntsmen aiming to overturn ban

Dec 26 2007 by Dave Black, The Journal

HUNTING enthusiasts meet for their biggest day of the year this morning – still fighting to win a repeal of the three-year-old ban on their sport.

Thousands of riders and supporters will gather across the UK – including at five meets in the North-East – for the annual Boxing Day celebration of the centuries-old rural pursuit.

Members of the Countryside Alliance will be handing out leaflets bearing the slogan Keep Hunting – Ban the Act as part of the ongoing campaign to repeal the Labour Government’s ban on hunting with dogs.

They will claim the Hunting Act 2004 has been divisive, confusing, illiberal and cruel, and that the Christmas panto season exposes the ‘pantomime’ nature of the legislation.

This morning the Percy Hunt meets at Newton-on-the-Moor near Alnwick, the College Valley/North Northumberland in Wooler, the Border at the Percy Arms in Otterburn, the Morpeth at the Dyke Neuk in Meldon and the Haydon in Fourstones near Hexham.

Riders will be using the drag hunting method, using the scent of a fox to lay a trail for the hounds, to overcome the outlawing of the traditional chase and kill.

A month ago the Law Lords, the highest court in the land, rejected appeals by the Countryside Alliance and other hunting supporters and ruled that the Hunting Act 2004 does not contravene any human rights or European law.

In October 2005, the Lords threw out a previous appeal in which the pro-hunt lobby claimed that the Parliament Act used to force through the ban was unconstitutional. The fight against the ban is being taken to the European Court of Human Rights, unless a Conservative Government comes in in the meantime and agrees to repeal the Act.

Yesterday Northumberland farmer Richard Dodd, regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said Boxing Day hunt meets would promote the continuing campaign for repeal.

“As we get nearer to a change of Government it is going to become more important that we lobby the right people and say the right things. If David Cameron gets in we hope he will address this problem.

“We have got no change from the Labour Government, but that was to be expected because this ban was a bone thrown to the left wing of the party.

“Hunts can still kill foxes by shooting them and farmers continue to welcome hunts coming on to their land. The Boxing Day hunts will be well supported because people still want to see the tradition and spectacle involved.”