Special delivery by anti-fox hunt campaigners to party headquarters

Special delivery by anti-fox hunt campaigners to party headquarters

June 19, 2024

Press release, for immediate release

Thousands of postcards calling on the three main political parties to strengthen hunting laws have been hand delivered to their headquarters by national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports.

The charity’s fox postie make the special delivery today to all three of the main parties’ headquarters in London. The cards were signed by members of the public, and highlight the public support for a proper ban on fox hunting.

Chris Luffingham, acting chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, gave his stamp of approval to the post card hand-in.

He said: “Today’s postcard hand-in by the fox postie was a good-natured stunt but it highlights a serious issue – illegal chasing and killing of foxes by hunts with hounds is going on as it did before the ban.

“It’s time for change. The next government needs to strengthen hunting laws by banning trail hunting, removing the loopholes in the Hunting Act and introducing custodial sentences for those that break the law. And they need to do this with urgency.”

The most recent League report covering the last hunting season between November 2023 and March 2024 showed nearly 1,400 eyewitness sightings of activity related to suspected illegal fox hunting across England and Wales.

Trail hunting, where hunters claim they are following a pre-laid animal-based scent, has been described by T/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 said the government should close the loopholes which allow the hunting community to continue killing foxes with apparent impunity.

The Scottish Government strengthened its fox hunting laws last year and banned so called trail hunting.

Polling data released late last month shows that, despite being banned nearly 20 years ago, voters want hunting laws strengthened by the next government.

The polling was commissioned the League but carried out independently by Find Out Now with further analysis by Electoral Calculus in March and April this year.

Chris added: “Today we sent a message to the next government to consign fox hunting to the history books.

“Voters want it, the police want it and animal lovers across the country want it – an end to the barbaric activity of fox hunting.”

Ends

Notes to editors

Find Out Now interviewed 5,379 GB adults online from 26 March-2 April 2024. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults by gender, age, social grade, other demographics and past voting patterns.

Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus are both members of the British Polling Council and abide by its rules.

A full breakdown of the data is available here: https://electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/DataTables_LACS_Jun2024.xlsx

For more information or interview requests please contact the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 01483 524250 or email pressoffice@league.org.uk

The League Against Cruel Sports is Britain's leading charity that works to stop animals being persecuted, abused and killed for sport. The League was instrumental in helping bring about the landmark Hunting Act 2004, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, the strengthened fox hunting laws of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 and a ban on the use of snares created by the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023.

We carry out investigations to expose law-breaking and cruelty to animals and campaign for stronger animal protection laws and penalties. We work to change attitudes and behaviour through education and manage wildlife reserves. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).