𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour have been accused of an unnecessary, unjustified and unfair attack on rural life after officials rolled out a consultation on a new hunting ban. DEFRA, the department overseeing the move, have pressed ahead with plans to ban trail hunting, which they describe as an “alternative to hunting wild mammals” and claim is being used as a “smokescreen” for illicit hunting.

But rural campaigners today slammed the move as an “assault” on the countryside, which is currently reeling from higher business rates imposed by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and the Family Farm Tax. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told the Express: “At a time when the countryside is on its knees as a result of misguided government policies and a cost of living crisis heightened by war, the government has again chosen to attack rural communities with another assault on rural life. A ban on trail hunting is unnecessary, unjustified and unfair.”

The consultation, which launched today and will close in June this year, comes ahead of plans to impose a new updated hunting ban across England and Wales which will outlaw trail hunting. It calls for a definition of what qualifies as trail hunting, alongside whether or not such a ban would affect dogs used in the pursuit.

Critics have blasted the plans as “the government attempting to distract from the real problems facing British people”. Mr Bonner described the proposals as a “toxic culture war” saying that British voters cared more about the “countryside, the food on their table and cheaper energy bills” than a ban on a sport they do not partake in.

Polling shows that two out of every three voters believe that the government does not care about the countryside, despite it being consistently ranked as one of the most beloved ‘institutions’ in British family life. Mr Bonner claimed the Prime Minister “is running the very real risk of causing a permanent schism between Labour and the countryside.”

He added: “If the government continues down this path, it will do nothing but confirm to rural people that Labour has warped priorities and a fundamental dislike of the countryside.” The Daily Express has run a series of campaigns on rural issues, most notably on the Family Farm Tax which will see Britain’s farmers dragged into inheritance tax for the first time.

Farmers have warned that the move risks wiping out their entire sector, and have asked the government to reconsider the move. Yesterday campaigners also joined forces to demand the government end the injustice of forcing the victims of rural fly-tipping to pay for the clean up of illegally dumped waste on their land.

Speaking at the time the ban on trail hunting was announced the minister for animal welfare Baroness Hayman said: “In our manifesto we said we would ban trail hunting, and that’s exactly what we’ll do.

“There are concerns that trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals, and that’s not acceptable.

“We are working out the best approach to take the ban forward and will run a consultation to seek views in the new year.”