Calls for Lib Dem commitment to tackle fox hunting
Posted 20th November 2019
It follows the launch of the Liberal Democrat manifesto today which made no mention of fox hunting, despite the issue continuing to be at the forefront of political debate.
Polling conducted by Ipsos MORI and commissioned by the League at the end of 2017, indicated that 86 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters support the fox hunting ban.
Recent polling, conducted by YouGov and commissioned and released by the League during the 2019 general election, showed a majority of Liberal Democrat supporters supported prison sentences for illegal hunting and tougher hunting laws
The League is urging all political parties to commit to strengthening the Hunting Act by removing loopholes and exemptions that allow hunting with dogs to still take place.
Chris Luffingham, director of campaigns for the League Against Cruel Sports, said:
“It’s disappointing that the Liberal Democrats have not yet made any commitment to both secure the fox hunting ban and strengthen the hunting laws to help end fox hunting once and for all.
“They risk being the only major political party to not comment on the issue of fox hunting despite the public and Liberal Democrats supporters being firmly opposed to this brutal ‘sport’.”
Of those who expressed a view in the Ipsos MORI polling, 71 per cent of Liberal Democrats thought illegal hunting should be punishable by custodial sentences.
Additionally, 82 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters who expressed a view supported the strengthening of the Hunting Act to prevent the killing of foxes by hunts, whether intentionally or otherwise, when they claim to be following trails or trail hunting.
Chris added:
“We’re calling on the Liberal Democrats to get off the fence and become part of the campaign to adopt tougher hunting laws that reflects the views of their own supporters and a general public united against hunting.”
Ends
Notes to editors
More information about our calls to strengthen the Hunting Act is available here.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,639 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29th - 30th October 2019. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
Separate polling commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports and carried out independently by Ipsos MORI in 2017 shows that 86 per cent of Liberal Democrat respondents are in favour of keeping the ban on fox hunting. Data is available here.
Trail hunting, which was invented after the fox hunting ban was implemented in 2005, has been widely dismissed as a fraudulent activity that is used as a cover-up for the illegal pursuit of foxes.