By unlocking the export potential China offers the pig industry, not to mention the red meat sector as a whole, we could gain entry into a marketplace which comprises a fifth of the world’s population.David Cameron woos rural voters with hunt pledge
DAVID Cameron wooed rural voters yesterday (Thursday, April 1) describing himself as a ‘country boy’ who grew up fishing and shooting.
He also pledged to fight the ban on fox hunting which he said was a ‘mess’.
“I always thought the ban was a mistake because I think it is very difficult to enforce,” he said in a BBC radio interview.
“I think it’s somewhere where the criminal law shouldn’t go and the mess we have now pretty much proves that.
“The point is the fox population has to be controlled. Every farmer will tell you that and tell you the methods being used – in more cases gassing and shooting and trapping and snaring – are very cruel.
“The case on animal welfare grounds for the hunting ban, I’ve always thought was very, very weak.”
The Tory leader said he would order a free vote on decriminalising hunting with dogs, which has been illegal since 2005, if he won the election.
In an impassioned bid for the country vote Mr Cameron said he understood rural life.
“I’m a country boy, I was brought up in the countryside and I love walking in the countryside and riding in the countryside, and every aspect of growing up in the countryside,” he said.
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Readers' comments (6)
Anonymous | 2 April 2010 8:29 pm
Sorry David Cameron but I'm a farmer and I don't like fox-hunting. It doesn't control foxes, in fact they encourage foxes and it's nothing but a nuisance to me.
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Anonymous | 3 April 2010 7:14 pm
Sorry Anonymous, but I am alaos farmer and I do like fox-hutning. It does control foxes to a degree, and certainly doesn't encourage them.
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Anonymous | 5 April 2010 12:46 pm
Well they do encourage foxes around by us as most of the land owned by the estates, fox shooting is banned to keep the population up so they can hunt! Anyway, we shoot the foxes when they come a visiting. And hunt supporters also cut our fences without any discussion at all, and we have sheep that jump, so it's quite a problem for us.
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nicky williams | 5 April 2010 5:48 pm
although i no longer farm , i still realise the need for fox control ,we have a local shooting club in this area who are more than able to keep foxes under control , [ i dont shoot any more due to police harasment regarding gun / rifle licences ]this is far better that chaseing foxes for miles , also , i am more concerend with health , education , crime [ not helped by lazy bent coppers in south wales and dyfed-powis ] immegration etc etc .why worry about foxes when there are 2 million unemployed ,let politictions sort out these thing and let farmers shoot vermin
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Toodle Pip | 6 April 2010 10:55 am
I'm not a farmer, and I have no strong views on fox hunting. But I don't like the fact David Cameron is holding out this carrot of reppealing the ban to woo rural voters.
Far more important things to worry about in this General Election. If he wants credibility, Cameron has to show he is capable of making those tough choices and not campaigning on a 'Vote for me because I'm not Gordon Brown' ticket. Voters aren't that dumb.
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Terry S | 20 April 2010 10:22 am
Sorry Mr Cameron, but by coming out in support of hunting you have lost my vote.
I used to vote Conservative in the rural West Country Lib Dem / Conservative marginal where I live, and I am not a Lib Dem (nor Labour) supporter, but I cannot vote for the Conservatives if they are planning to repeal the Hunting Act.
Hunting and coursing are cruel anachronisms that serve no useful purpose whatsoever - it has been demonstrated time and again that hunting certainly does not 'control the fox population'.
The Hunting Act should be strengthened and loopholes removed, NOT repealed.
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