BASC rejects minister’s ‘far-right’ countryside comments

The rural minister made the remarks at a fringe event during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this week, and they have since been widely reported in the national press. BASC, which heard them at its own conference reception, called the words “poorly judged” and has invited the minister to spend a day in the field.

What did the minister say?

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Defra minister responsible for rural affairs, described a vision of Britain built on “warm ale, a black Labrador at your feet in a pub that does not exist”, with “symbolism linked to fox hunting”, as “a deeply far-right, nostalgic vision of Britain that we do not want – and that never really existed”.

The Suffolk Coastal MP later said on social media that she does not consider country pubs or black Labradors far right, sharing photographs of her own dogs, and her office directed BASC to that post.

How has the shooting community responded?

BASC said the picture the remarks painted of the countryside is one it completely rejects. “Our members know better than anyone the reality of our countryside – a place where people live, work and contribute,” the association said. “Shooting supports thousands of jobs, brings trade to rural pubs and businesses through the winter, and funds conservation on a huge scale. Working dogs – including plenty of Labradors – are part of that life. None of it belongs to any one political party.”

The association said it had spoken with the minister ahead of her speech and discussed exactly this ground. Despite the disagreement, it stressed its history of working with governments of all colours and said it has a responsibility to keep engaging, inviting Ms Riddell-Carpenter to see rural life first-hand.

What happens next

BASC is urging everyone in the sector to respond to Defra’s call for evidence on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England, which it has described as a fight for the future of shooting. The call for evidence closes on Sunday 1 November; the association asks members to tell Defra in a simple email what shooting means to them, their shoot and their local community.