Hunting here to stay

Thousands turned out yesterday to support their local Boxing Day hunts, in defiance of both miserable weather and animal rights extremists – some of whom have precious little understanding of what makes animals tick. The horses are fantastically well cared for; the hounds are in seventh heaven, doing what pack animals are born to do. For the countryside, this is a celebration of community and history – and foxes aren’t even the quarry any more.

After nine years of Tory-led governments, the ban on hunting wild mammals with dogs remains; drag hunting has replaced it. The ban was a ridiculous piece of legislation – motivated by anti-countryside prejudice – and Tony Blair later expressed regret for it, although the 2004 Act has had a very different effect from the one intended. Hunt attendance has blossomed because people want to support a tradition under threat, and this issue has clarified for millions what it means to be rural in the 21st century. The sound of the horn and the barking of the hounds signifies the triumph of an ancient way of life.

Unfortunately, a pledge to lift the ban did not appear in the 2019 Conservative manifesto: it would be a tough fight and the Government’s hands are full with other matters. But what a Tory majority does offer the countryside is reassurance that things will stay the same for the time being. Labour threatened to move the battle on to shooting and horse racing; campaigners feared a beefed up Hunting Act would have criminalised dog walkers whose pets catch squirrels and rabbits.

Post-election, the countryside can breathe a sigh of relief, and enjoy a nip of brandy to keep out the December cold.