Tories repeat promise to repeal Hunting Act

The Conservative Party has reaffirmed its intention to see the Hunting Act repealed once the party returns to political power. 

Speaking at the Middle Way Group’s fringe event at this week’s Party Conference (1-4 October), shadow junior DEFRA minister Jim Paice said: “Without reservation we will give the House of Commons an early opportunity to repeal the law.”

He dismissed comments made earlier in the week by Tom Oliver, head of rural policy at the Campaign to Protect Rural England and a member of the Conservative Quality of Life research team, who suggested the Tories should drop the commitment.

Mr Oliver’s basic point was that the Tories should seek to avoid the fiasco Labour found itself in when trying to force the ban.  Instead, the Conservatives, he suggested, should look at alternative measures to circumvent the law without risking another 700 hours of parliamentary time devoted to its discussion.

However, Mr Paice quickly removed any doubt over Party policy saying that it was not an issue which has been, or will be, referred to the policy group for review.  But Mr Paice, and his fellow Tory MP and co-chairman of the MWG Peter Luff, emphasised the need for some form of replacement legislation, such as a wildlife management bill, if the repeal was to be lasting.

“I don’t think a repeal [of the Hunting Act] would be enough on its own to permit the future success of hunting.  It may be that it needs to form part of a comprehensive piece of legislation that permits the control of many species of mammal,” said Mr Luff.