League backs moves to strengthen fox hunting laws
Posted 7th June 2024
National animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports welcomes the animal welfare package announced this evening by the Labour Party and the commitment to strengthen fox hunting laws.
This commitment will close down the loopholes in the Hunting Act 2004 enabling hunts to currently chase and kill wildlife with dogs despite the fox hunting ban.
It will also ban the discredited concept of so-called trail hunting, which was recently described by Chief Supt Matt Longman, the most senior police officer in England & Wales with responsibility for fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”.
Chris Luffingham, Acting Chief Executive of national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “This commitment from the Labour Party is fantastic news for the nation's persecuted wildlife. It’s time for change and to end fox hunting and the brutal activity of hunting with dogs.
“This barbaric practice needs to be consigned to the history books once and for all. Trail hunting is nothing but a smokescreen for the chasing and killing of wildlife – the public know it, the police know it, and whoever comes into power on the 5 July needs to know it and change the law with urgency."
New polling data released last week showed that, despite being banned nearly 20 years ago, voters want hunting laws strengthened by the next government and will cast their votes to prove it.
It shows nearly eight out of 10 (76 percent) voters polled in favour of strengthening the Hunting Act.
The polling was commissioned by the League but carried out independently by FindOutNow with further analysis by Electoral Calculus in March and April this year.
