Hunting of foxes is ‘part of nature’
CHARLOTTE GREEN
ACANDIDATE in next month’s general election has explained why he would vote to repeal the ban on fox hunting.
Ramsbottom Conservative candidate David Nuttall, who is seeking to defend his 2015 majority of 378 votes, has said he would overturn the ban if given a vote in Parliament.
Theresa May has said she will hold a free vote for MPs on overturning the ban if she is returned as Prime Minister on June 8.
Last week we revealed that all four candidates in the Rossendale and Darwen parliamentary election – Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat – would not lift the ban on fox hunting.
But Mr Nuttall said he has always held the position that if there were a free vote he would vote to repeal the ban.
He told the Free Press: “It’s not something I personally do but I like to stand up for minorities, I believe those people should have the freedom to carry on doing what they have been doing for hundreds of years. –
“If foxes were endangered in any way I would not support the return of fox hunting but no-one’s suggesting that foxes are any way endangered and I think that’s relevant.
“If that’s what people want they should be allowed to do so within the confines of the law in terms of trespass and looking after their own animals.”
But Mr Nuttall said that while canvassing he had not found that fox hunting was a priority issue for votes.
He added: “Despite what some people think I am very interested in ani- mal welfare, I’d like to see stronger penalties for those who harm animals, those sick individuals that cause cruelty to pets.
“But foxes are wild animals, it is part of nature for them to be hunted.
“Foxes hunt, they hunt other creatures and being hunted themselves is part and parcel of life, it’s what ●● happens. Most of the foxes escape.”
James Frith, who is Labour’s candidate in the Bury North constituency, said that fox hunting was a ‘blood sport’ that should remain illegal.
He said: “The Conservatives wanting to re-introduce animal cruelty is not something I would sup- port. There is no downside to keeping the ban, it is a blood sport.
“This is a nearly 20-yearold argument and we have dealt with it.
“We don’t need another vote.”
The third candidate in the election is Richard Baum for the Liberal Democrats.