Government ‘committed’ to ban trail hunting
The Government has committed to ban trail hunting as hunters gather for traditional Boxing Day meetings across the UK.
Trail hunting – a practice where a scent is laid for prey – was introduced as a “cruelty-free” replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labor in 2004.
Animal rights campaigners have urged the government to fulfill its manifesto promise to ban trail hunting.
The Countryside Alliance, which represents hunters, has criticized the decision and said it would be “extraordinary” for Labor to focus on the ban given the poor state of its relations with rural communities.
Hunting with hounds has been a tradition in some parts of the UK for centuries, but the Hunting Act of 2004 banned the practice.
The Act banned the use of dogs to hunt wild mammals including fox, rabbit, deer and mink throughout England and Wales.
Traditional hunting has now been replaced by trail hunting, which involves making marks using a cloth soaked in the animal’s scent.
It mimics the scent of a wild animal, so it is chased by hounds rather than a fox, for example. The intention is to replicate this throughout the countryside, without the need to kill animals.
In a statement, the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “This government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious animal welfare plans in a generation and that’s exactly what we will do.”
However, in some cases, the practice is being used “as a cover for cruelly killing foxes and rabbits”, said a Defra spokesperson.
According to the League Against Cruel Sports, since the beginning of August, there have been 186 reports of fox hunting and 220 suspected incidents of poaching.
The head of the organization has called on the government to strengthen existing legislation to avoid “loopholes”, including giving custodial sentences to those who hunt wild animals with dogs.
Further changes to the law have been criticized as “wholly unfair”, with the Countryside Alliance stating that trail hunting is a legal activity that brings rural communities together.
The coalition’s chief executive, Tim Bonner, said the ban would be a “mischievous act” that would have a negative impact on rural areas.
He said there are 12,000 hunting days each year that are legal and legal.
Mr Bonner said the issue of trail hunting is “irrelevant” to most people, and that it would be “extraordinary” for Labor to focus on it given the poor state of its relations with rural communities.
Constituents living in rural communities have been critical of some of the changes proposed by the new Labor government.
Farmers protested against changes to inheritance tax announced in the autumn budget in November and took to the streets of central London to express their concerns.
The changes mean that from April 2026, inherited agricultural property worth more than £1 million, which was previously exempt, will be taxed at 20%.
National Farmers Union called the budget “disastrous” And its plans would “take away the next generation’s ability to produce British food” and force farmers to sell land to pay the tax.
this also Urged the government to consult farmers on the changes Making policies “less bad.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “vast majority” of farmers would not be affected by the tax changes.
