Yesterday evening (Wednesday 17 June), protestors took their message to the heart of Westminster, opposing the government's proposals to ban lawful trail hunting and blowing hunting horns in a show of defiance.
Hundreds of people, accompanied by hunting hounds, descended on Marsham Street for a protest (organised by the Countryside Alliance as part of the Future for Hunting joint campaign) outside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) offices. Members of Parliament turned up to show their support, while a senior Labour politician, Baroness Mallalieu, criticised the government for being out of touch and prioritising a toxic culture war on the countryside over the real issues that matter to ordinary people.
Protesters wielded banners bearing the slogans "Hands off the countryside" and "Fight the ban, save our countryside", in reference to a succession of government policies including the Family Farm Tax, huge hikes to business rates for rural businesses, and now the proposed ban on trail hunting - that are considered by many in rural communities to be a "war on the countryside".
The protest came a day ahead of the closing of the government's consultation on banning trail hunting. More than 80,000 people so far have responded to the government's consultation opposing the ban.
Senior Labour politician and President of the Countryside Alliance, Baroness Mallalieu, delivered a speech criticising the government for its sustained assault on the countryside:
"Has this country not got enough problems? Is it really a priority for a Labour government which has promised so much and has so far delivered so little?"
Turning to address Defra ministers, she gave a stark warning:
"We are now teetering on the brink of another serious misjudgment. If the facts change, so should policies. And if you don't, you will cause great pain in rural communities, you will simply add another unworkable piece of legislation to the statute book, and even worse, if you list trail hunting as a priority in your first term in office in 14 years, you will be a laughing stock and never forgiven."
She was joined by Conservative peer and Chairman of the Countryside Alliance, Lord Herbert, who warned the government not to continue with its proposals, and suggested that Westminster could see further protests against the proposed trail hunting ban:
"The government is opening a Pandora's Box, and if they have any sense, they will close it again. Let me just say this: this is the opening meet, and we've had other demonstrations in London before, haven't we?".
Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said:
“This demonstration outside Defra highlights the massive opposition to the government’s proposal to ban trail hunting which has seen over 80,000 people respond to the consultation to tell the government to drop the idea. There could not be a clearer message.
“The countryside rejects this return to culture war politics and the anti-rural policies of this government from the Family Farm Tax, to hikes on business rates, to attacks on game shooting and gun ownership. The countryside, and the country as a whole, has a thousand greater priorities than Labour’s vendetta against hunts.”
The government's consultation to ban trail hunting ends tonight. Respond here to oppose the ban - it takes seconds: Take action and respond to the government's consultation on a ban...