Thangam Debbonaire
MP for Bristol West
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Fox Hunting
The Government has postponed plans to stage a vote on amending the Hunting Act. The proposed amendments would have made the act unenforceable and would have signalled the return of cruel, inhumane blood sports to this country.
Over 80% of people in Britain oppose hunting so it is no surprise that the proposal generated a great deal of outrage. In Bristol West I received more correspondence on this issue than any other – over 1,300 constituents have contacted me (1 in 60 voters), with 98% against relaxing the law.
Although we have a majority Conservative Government, this defeat shows that with effective opposition we can force the government to listen. It is vital that we keep up the pressure so that the achievements made on animal welfare under the Labour Government will not be undermined.
When the proposal is revived in the autumn, every email, petition, letter and phone call will matter. The Conservative Government is determined to take Britain backwards on animal welfare. With opposition from the Labour Party, animal rights organisations and individuals from all over the country we can keep cruelty history.