Wild Justice’s latest petition to ban driven grouse shooting was debated by MPs in Westminster Hall on Monday 30 June. This petition made the same sweeping allegations as their previous one which was debated in 2021 and, as was the case then, yesterday’s debate provided a marvellous opportunity to set out the enormous benefits of grouse shooting and its associated moorland management to wildlife, communities and the environment. It also clearly highlighted the growing scientific evidence in favour of grouse shooting: evidence that Chris Packham and his fellow directors of Wild Justice choose simply to ignore while pursuing their anti-shooting agenda.

The debate, as in 2021, was one sided, with MP after MP from across the political spectrum, many of whom were from moorland constituencies, making the case for grouse shooting and its associated management practices. We are very grateful to them for taking the time to attend, and for showing how Wild Justice’s sweeping claims that grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife failed to stand up to even rudimentary scrutiny. Chris Packham sat apparently in despair as Rishi Sunak MP (Conservative, Richmond and Northallerton) demolished the argument for a ban on grouse shooting. Out of the 650 MPs in the House, just one, Olivia Blake MP (Labour, Sheffield Hallam) spoke in favour of the petition, choosing to disregard all the available science and evidence, and ignoring the consequences a ban would have on businesses and the lives of those in her constituency who rely on it.

While this is the third time this has been debated in recent years, it is the first in this Parliament and under a Labour government with a huge majority. It was therefore particularly welcome when the Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP, in summing up the debate confirmed that the government had no plans to ban grouse shooting. Having listened closely to the powerful economic arguments that had been made by Sam Rushworth MP (Labour, Bishop Auckland) and Rishi Sunak MP, he fully appreciated the economic benefits that accrue from that sector of the rural economy.

It was as recently as 2019 that Labour’s election manifesto pledged to consult on banning driven grouse shooting. The U-turn in the Party’s stance since then must be in no small part down to the Countryside Alliance’s years of work to promote to parliamentarians and the wider public the great and many benefits of moorland management for driven grouse shooting. Prior to the debate we circulated our comprehensive briefing note to all MPs and engaged with many to ensure a successful outcome. We were thanked by the proposer of the debate, John Lamont MP (Conservative, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) as well as David Simmonds MP (Conservative, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) for all the work that had been put in to ensure that Members that came to speak were widely briefed about all the issues raised by the petition.