In the Gaelic tradition of the Scottish Highlands, the phenomenon of second sight was considered a curse for those ‘seers’ who were inflicted with it. I certainly do not claim any supernatural powers, but it has been depressing to see prediction after prediction I made before the last election in articles and podcasts, particularly in relation to shooting, coming true.
Firearms licence fees were hiked then came the proposal to license shotguns as Section 1 firearms and last week came a call for evidence on the “impacts of rearing, releasing and shooting gamebirds on wildlife, the environment and animal welfare”. This is a very serious step on the road to a ban on the release and shooting of gamebirds (because no activity can be licensed until it has been prohibited) and the introduction of a statutory system that will presumably only allow those activities to be carried out in some places under strict conditions. There has never been a more serious threat to shooting.
Those with long memories might contrast the approach of this Labour government with the last one. The 2001 Labour manifesto, on which Tony Blair won his second landslide, promised a free vote to resolve the issue of hunting with hounds, but also explicitly stated the party had "no intention whatsoever of placing restrictions on the sports of angling and shooting." Labour has come a long way in 25 years from having “no intention whatsoever” to restrict shooting to actively promoting policies which would devastate shotgun ownership and game shooting.
Strangely, whilst I predicted these attacks I do not believe they are part of any coordinated plan, rather that they are the result of pressure on individual departments from within the Labour Party and from activists. I have been surprised that my predictions have come true so quickly, but then I had not factored in how extraordinarily dysfunctional the government has been for the last two years.
That brings us to the new Prime Minister and his opportunity to reset Labour’s relationship with the countryside. Andy Burnham certainly inherits a troubled legacy as far as rural issues are concerned. Aside from Labour’s attack on shooting there has also been the deeply unpopular family farm tax, the ridiculous trail hunting ban and draconian regulation of betting which threatens the racing industry.
In all we calculate there have been 27 separate policies announced since the last election which have a partial and negative impact on the countryside. The politically sensible option for the new administration would be to change course. There is zero electoral benefit in picking endless fights with the rural community. After all, Labour holds well over 100 constituencies with at least a rural element and the chances of those MPs being re-elected is not going to be increased by pursuing irrelevant and unnecessary policies that will simply raise questions about Labour’s priorities.
The new Prime Minister has said that he wants “growth in every postcode”. Well, one in four postcodes is rural and no one has yet explained how closing down farms, shoots, hunts and racing yards is going to create growth. This is a message we will be bringing to Westminster on Monday when very senior Labour and Conservative politicians will warn the new administration about the perils of continuing with Keir Starmer’s attacks on rural communities. For the sake of both the government and the countryside, let us hope Andy Burnham listens.