Tories might lose the country’s support over fox hunting, Macca? When did they have it?

150712mccartneyhunting

It’s funny, the way even high-profile figures can get the wrong end of the stick.

Paul McCartney, for example, has warned the Conservative Party that it could lose the support of the UK electorate if a free vote next week results in the re-legalisation of fox hunting.

Perhaps someone should remind him that the Conservatives have a wafer-thin majority of just 12 MPs; six by-elections and they’re impotent.

In fact, even with this vote they are playing dirty. Knowing that a free vote to repeal the Hunting Act will not win enough support, David Cameron and his friends have worked out that they could restore hunting by bringing the law in England and Wales in line with that in Scotland. The SNP’s 56 MPs would not be able to vote against this in good faith, and will probably abstain, leaving the Tories with a majority of around 50 (believe it or not, there are Conservatives who oppose hunting).

Cameron absolutely cannot rely on the support of the electorate: His party won only 24.3 per cent of the available vote at the general election in May, making his government one of the least democratic in our history. And polls have consistently shown that a clear majority of the British people want the barbaric practice of hunting foxes with hounds to remain illegal – more than 50 per cent of us.

Macca, 73, has spent decades campaigning for animal rights. He said: “The vast majority of us will be against them [the Conservatives] if hunting is reintroduced. It is cruel and unnecessary and will lose them support from ordinary people and animal lovers like myself.”

“Inexcusable”

Fellow musician Brian May has been far more outspoken; he accused supporters of next week’s vote of being “a bunch of lying bastards” on the BBC’s Newsnight programme last Thursday.

Some mouthpiece for the hunt-supporting Countryside Alliance had been on, spouting the usual tripe: “This is about addressing exemptions in the Act, which were agreed by both sides when the Act was going through, for pest control reasons, for catching a diseased or wounded animal or something like that.”

Dr May responded: “It’s a very underhand act I’m afraid, because Cameron for years has promised a free vote – a fair fight on the repeal of the Hunting Act.

“He has now realised that this probably won’t end up with what he wants so this whole thing has been put together by circumventing the normal democratic process.

“So you introduce a little modification to an Act but this modification actually disables the whole Hunting Act and effectively this is repeal under a new name. I think this is a very Machiavellian and rather inexcusable way of behaving.

“I believe it’s a pretence. I think you’re a bunch of lying bastards.”

Here he is saying it, at around 5 minutes, 40 seconds in:

Other notable celebrity opponents include Ricky Gervais, who tweeted:

150712gervaisfoxhunting

In fact, it seems the mouthpiece from the Countryside Alliance has shown us the way forward.

This Writer cannot imagine why a wounded animal would need to be “removed” by a hunting pack; in the wild, the law of natural selection would probably see that it is “removed” without human interference.

And if this is about pest control – removing a diseased animal so it cannot spread an infection – then it should be necessary for the hunters to prove any fox was diseased before they set the dogs after it.

This leads to a further question about epidemic: If hounds are sent after a diseased fox, won’t they catch and spread the illness themselves?

Perhaps the Tories – and their Countryside Alliance co-conspirators – should be made to answer these questions before any change in the law is considered.

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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11 Comments

  1. jeffrey davies July 12, 2015 at 12:17 pm - Reply

    its a great pity they wernt more vigerous over the culling of the stock by rtu ids jeff3

  2. Neilth July 12, 2015 at 1:00 pm - Reply

    It seems the Tories have a need to pursue, torture and destroy those poorer, weaker and more vulnerable than they are. This blood lust doesn’t end with foxes. They believe they have a right to inflict this on those who are less than them, human or animal.

  3. Jane Jacques July 12, 2015 at 1:28 pm - Reply

    Amazingly heard that Grant Shapps won’t vote for a repeal. Don’t know if true but I never thought I would be in agreement about anything with him. Least he understands hunting foxes is off limits, others??

  4. Jim Round July 12, 2015 at 2:10 pm - Reply

    It would appear that opposition to The Tories is becoming non-existant and a farce.
    If there is any truth in some in the CLP opposing Jeremy Corbyn and Labour not opposing some of the tax credit reforms then what hope is there?
    Labour are fast becoming The Tories under Hague.

  5. NMac July 12, 2015 at 2:28 pm - Reply

    The Tories have never been “popular”, they just know how to divide society against itself, and to take full advantage of our antiquated 19th century electoral system.

    • hayfords July 12, 2015 at 4:13 pm - Reply

      I am not sure what measure you use to show the Conservatives have never been popular. If that were true then the actual figures show that Labour are much more unpopular. Since WWII Conservatives have won 9 times and Labour 8 (not counting 2010). They gained the two biggest percentage victories in absolute terms of the whole registered electorate of 39.3% and 38.8%. Of the elections of 30% and over, the Conservatives won 8 and Labour won 5. In fact, apart from Blair’s victory with 30.8%, Labour have not been 30% or greater since 1966. Even John Major managed 33.0% just before Blair. The Conservatives this time got 24.2% compared to Labour’s 21.6% in 2005. All the figures are percentages of the electorate and not just who voted. Even Labour don’t want to change the election system.

      • Mike Sivier July 12, 2015 at 5:14 pm - Reply

        I didn’t say the Tories had never been popular – but it is certainly true that they are not popular now.
        Your own figures show that.

  6. hayfords July 12, 2015 at 5:37 pm - Reply

    The reply was to NMac who stated, “The Tories have never been ‘popular'”.

    • Mike Sivier July 12, 2015 at 6:43 pm - Reply

      I stand corrected.
      Still, they really aren’t.

  7. Ian July 12, 2015 at 7:55 pm - Reply

    I have no time whatsoever for any form of cruelty to animals but, as mentioned above, why no outcry over the DWP’s sanctions regime, the WCA and Atos deaths?

    Maybe sick and disabled people should dress up as lickle fuwwy animals to get a bit of sympathy.

    • Mike Sivier July 12, 2015 at 8:10 pm - Reply

      There’s has been a great deal of outcry over the DWP, sanctions and the deaths that have taken place – and this blog is the place to read about it.

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