King’s Speech 2024 – League calls for swift action to end fox hunting
Posted 17th July 2024
National animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports has called for the government to strengthen fox hunting laws without delay, after today’s King’s Speech failed to mention animal welfare.
The speech set out the new government’s priorities for its first year in parliament and the legislation it will introduce to deliver them, although doesn’t restrict the government to delivering only those measures.
Manifesto pledges from the Labour Party to ban trail hunting – as well as cruel snare traps – were welcome news for animals still being persecuted in the name of ‘sport’. It is disappointing however not to see these commitments – or any other animal welfare measures – reflected in today’s announcements.
Chris Luffingham, acting chief executive of the League, said: “The new government must not pass up the opportunity it now has to prioritise animal welfare and end barbaric fox hunting once and for all.
“Almost 20 years since hunting with dogs was first banned, illegal hunting is stiff rife and trail hunting is nothing but a smokescreen for the chasing and killing of wildlife.
“The government must put its words during the election campaign into action by urgently strengthening the law – to ban so-called trail hunting, close other loopholes exploited by hunts and introduce custodial sentences for those caught illegally hunting.”
Trail hunting has been described by Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman, the most senior police officer in England and Wales with responsibility for fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”. He also described illegal hunting as “prolific”.
Recent polling shows that action to end hunting would popular, with nearly eight out of 10 (76 percent) voters wanting hunting laws strengthened. The polling was commissioned by the League but carried out independently by Find Out Now with further analysis by Electoral Calculus in March and April this year.