Don't fund anti-hunt thugs, boycott LUSH

Countryside Alliance Director of Campaigns Tim Bonner writes: The cosmetics company LUSH has become a high street staple selling soap and smelly stuff from 105 shops across the UK and Ireland, as well as online. It is keen to promote its 'ethical' and campaigning image and, whilst the majority of its policies and the campaigns it supports are mainstream and harmless, dark secrets lurk in the background. From the point of view of Countryside Alliance members and supporters the most obvious of those is LUSH's support for the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) a nasty organisation with a violent history and equally unpleasant present. Thankfully the HSA's membership is tiny, and much diminished from its peak period of anarchy in the 80s and early 90s but that is no excuse for funding a campaign of harassment by violent and unpleasant extremists, which is exactly what LUSH does.

LUSH's Ethical Director has said "We have a vision of the perfect company that we should be, but which we never quite arrive at." I could reel off a long list of convictions handed down to hunt saboteurs from grave desecration to involvement in violence in which police officers were seriously injured. Indeed, there was an extremely unpleasant assault in Gloucestershire last month which is the subject of a current police investigation. The easiest way to explain how unacceptable and unethical the behaviour of these extremists is, however, is simply to show a picture of them in action (see above).

This is what LUSH is funding and it is important that its role in a widespread campaign of harassment is understood by anyone considering spending their money at LUSH. Our message is simple - Don't fund thugs, don't shop at LUSH.

Follow Tim on Twitter @CA_TimB