VERDICT

THERESA May’s announcement that there will be no vote to repeal the Hunting Act in this Parliament could be described as “politically correct”.

It’s definitely the correct decision, but it is also political – the direct result of ongoing pressure against hunting which came to a head in the election.

The Mirror opened a can of worms when they asked Theresa May if she supported fox hunting and she said “yes”, making it one of the most talked about subjects of the election.

The thought of a 21st Century government talking about bringing back a banned blood sport was shocking.

The direct result was that a potential repeal was dropped from the Tory manifesto, and the knock-on effects have continued.

But those opposed to fox hunting would be foolish if we assumed that this is game over, job done. Another government could see a renewed attack on the hunting ban.

In the meantime, the chasing and killing of foxes, hares and deer goes on under the disguise of “trail” hunting.

If the Government truly want to distance themselves from hunting, they need to support police forces to ensure that hunts are properly punished for their ongoing flouting of British law.

We would be foolish to assume that this is game over, job done