Jim Barrington on Conservative Home: Why advocates of the Hunting Act are running scared of repeal

Jim Barrington is a former Executive Director of the League Against Cruel Sports. He is now an animal welfare consultant to Countryside Alliance, Council of Hunting Associations and the All Party Parliamentary Middle Way Group. He has written for Conservative Home on the hunting issue, beginning: "The sight of John Prescott, with his leader Jeremy Corbyn in the background, pulling a toy fox out of a sack at Labour rally and shouting, "Theresa May wants to tear this apart" showed just how ridiculous and desperate he really is. He was cheered on by people who, it would seem, know little about dogs, even less about hunting and probably couldn't care less about the consequences of a hunting ban.

Jim goes on: "Actually, John, no she doesn't want to tear apart a toy fox, nor does she want to tear apart a live fox – that's the job of the hounds, something you might have known if you'd bothered to properly understand the activity of fox hunting. But best not to let facts get in the way when trying to make a political point. Ask Lord Prescott, Jeremy Corbyn, or indeed anyone who supports the Hunting Act what the effect this legislation has had on wildlife and you will be hard pushed to get a sensible answer. Instead, "Animals are no longer torn apart just for fun" will be one response – and of course the opinion polls that show most people disapprove of hunting will be another. Anti-hunting groups have convinced themselves and many others that the use of dogs is always inherently cruel." Read the full piece on the Con Home website here.