Ban Fox Hunting

 

As a long-standing campaigner for animal protection, I recognise that animals, like humans, experience suffering, pain, and fear. The scientific community, particularly experts in neuroscience, has provided compelling evidence that mammals, birds, and many other creatures possess consciousness, experience stress and feel pain. This understanding underscores our moral obligation to protect their well-being.

During my tenure, both previously and since returning to represent St Ives, I have consistently championed initiatives to protect animal welfare. This includes supporting measures to improve conditions in agriculture including the end to the use of pig crates and prolonged transport for slaughter, advocating for the protection of funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, ending the use of wild animals in circuses, and ending the sport of fox, stag hunting and hare coursing, and campaigning to end battery hen cages.

My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I have a proud history of championing animal rights. Our commitment is evident through our support for stronger penalties for animal cruelty, funding research to reduce animal testing, and pushing for an all-out ban on caged hens. These efforts reflect our dedication to creating a society where animals are treated with the respect and compassion they deserve.

The Hunting Act 2004 was introduced with the intention of ending the cruel practice of pursuing a wild animal to its death purely for sport. However, as you point out, there are still significant concerns surrounding its enforcement and effectiveness. It is deeply troubling to hear, as you mentioned in your letter, that hunts continue to exploit loopholes in the law and that some police chiefs have expressed concerns about the law’s ambiguity.

The government promised to strengthen the ban and we need to ensure that any new measures are robust enough to end the loopholes and end the sport of hunting animals for fun. The so-called ‘trail hunting’ loophole must be closed, and the inhumane practice of ‘terrier work’ must be immediately ended.

I will keep pressing the government to ensure that we have a law that properly protects our wildlife from cruelty and that any gaps in enforcement are swiftly addressed.