HuntingThe Hunting Act 2004 came into force at midnight on 17th February 2005. Our relentless campaigning has guaranteed that the Hunting Act is now widely acknowledged to be bad law. It is no accident that many political commentators, Chief Constables, senior civil servants and a majority of the public have taken this view. The Countryside Alliance has worked tirelessly to expose the law for what it is: hard to interpret and enforce, illiberal, bad for animal welfare and a waste of police resources. Thanks to our determined efforts when working with hunts that have been targeted, there have been only a handful of successful convictions. However, it cannot be right that a large section of law-abiding citizens continue to live in constant fear of malicious prosecutions. In 2010 one hunt received 47 visits from animal rights activists armed with video cameras, aiming for prosecution. It is a terrible and vivid illustration of why things cannot ‘be left as they are’. Our campaigning has ensured that hunting remains firmly on the political agenda and the Coalition Agreement includes a commitment to a free vote in this Parliament. We need to remain vigilant in future and spot every opportunity to move our cause forward.
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 Short film on NVQs for hunt staffThursday, 15 September 2011 Our latest short film focuses on the NVQ in animal care available to youngsters keen on a career in hunting. The film follows the 2011 intake, including William Parker, who voices his wish to be a first whipper-in in ten years time and to spend his life in hunting. The qualification in animal care is offered as a Hunt Staff Bursary Scheme and is run by Haddon Training. Read more Jim Barrington on "Preaching to the converted"Wednesday, 14 September 2011 Countryside Alliance Animal Welfare consultant Jim Barrington writes a regular blog on animal welfare issues. In his latest offering, "Preaching to the converted", Jim comments "I’m not happy to see animals killed – far from it, having been a vegetarian for most of my life – but I accept that simply doing nothing with regard to our wildlife in this man-managed environment is not a realistic option." Read more League employees caught outThursday, 25 August 2011 Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Alice Barnard writes: A film has hit Youtube and will be of interest to supporters of hunting. Featuring two League Against Cruel Sports employees, Paul Tillsley and Ed Shephard, the film reports that they are trespassing in woodland trying to film members of hunts and being caught on camera by their own surveillance equipment. Read more Media watch - The Reunion, BBC Radio 4, Sunday 4th SeptemberWednesday, 24 August 2011 Media watch - The Reunion, BBC Radio 4, Sunday 4th September at 11.15am, with a repeat on Friday 9th at 9am. Supporters will be keen to listen to a forthcoming episode of a Radio 4 programme called The Reunion, which will feature a nostalgic debate on hunting featuring our founding CEO Robin Hanbury-Tenison. Read more Bungling trespass from anti-hunt charity employeesMonday, 22 August 2011 A short film is circulating on Youtube and will be of great interest to hunting supporters. League Against Cruel Sports employees Paul Tillsley and Ed Shephard are shown, the film tells us, trespassing on private land and caught looking for surveillance equipment planted there to try and gather evidence of illegality. Unfortunately the pair are caught by their own equipment which had been discovered and repositioned. Read more "Blue Fox" group - a statementTuesday, 16 August 2011 The Mail on Sunday published a story on Sunday 14th August which reported that ‘Blue Fox’ – a very small group of young, urban Conservative MPs – say they have “killed off” a vote on repealing the Hunting Act. This story should not spark any concern; it is not the first such story and is unlikely to be the last. The Countryside Alliance’s political team continues to work hard behind the scenes to put the case for repeal, which is compelling. The MPs mentioned in the story represent a tiny group within the Conservative Party and we have been well aware of their position for some time. Read more How low can the anti-hunt lobby go?Thursday, 11 August 2011 Ahead of the new hunting season the usual anti-hunting nonsense is being flung around the place, and new League Against Cruel Sports Chief Executive Joe Duckworth has joined the fray. Political opportunism peaked this week when he wrote the following grossly offensive comment in a blog, comparing this week’s riots to so-called 'hunt havoc.“: Read more Morpeth Hunt relocation fundThursday, 4 August 2011 Horse & Hound magazine reports a positive hunting story, telling us that “The Morpeth hunt is appealing for funds so it can move from its 19th-century kennels at Rivergreen to a modern facility in nearby Buckshaw.” Of the £50,000 sought for the re-location, over £30,000 has already been secured by donations, reflecting the support the hunt enjoys in Northumberland. Read more Alice Barnard makes the case for repealThursday, 21 July 2011 On 20th July the Yorkshire Post published a powerful article by Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Alice Barnard, outlining the case for repeal of the Hunting Act. In "Shameful and shattered hunting ban should be scrapped" Alice makes the case for repeal through statistics, the opinion of the Prime Minister and others and the grim truth of the animal rights harassment hunt staff have to contend with on a daily basis. Read more Yorkshire lad leads way to hunting's futureFriday, 15 July 2011 Robert Truscott, an 18 year old from Yorkshire, represented the next generation of hunting as he was presented with his NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Animal Care at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate in mid-July. Read more |
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