‘We said hunt ban was bad, now we can prove it’

A former chairman of the Countryside Alliance has said those who opposed the Hunting Act 2004 have been vindicated by the findings of a new book. 

Rural Wrongs: Hunting and the Unintended Consequences of Bad Laws, lays out evidence that, rather than benefiting wild animals, the Act has caused more suffering in the countryside. Speaking in the House of Lords, Baroness (Kate) Hoey said: “Those who supported this detrimental law have not spent a penny in assessing its impact. We said it would be a bad move and now we can prove it.” 

The Baroness also said she was glad HM The King’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament did not mention rewilding once. The peer, who sits as an independent, said: “The rewilding argument tells us to ignore similar warnings and wilfully permit the destruction of the landscapes we love. There are better solutions. Farmers and land managers are the best environmental champions we have.” 

Farmer and keen hunt follower Patrick Leigh- Pemberton said: “It can take many years to assess the impact of individual decisions. Decisions that have generational impacts should not be taken lightly, nor suited to fashionable whims, as discovering the damage they cause may take years, and repairing that damage may take decades.”