My letter to my MP regarding the proposed amendments to the fox hunting act:
Dear Stephen Metcalfe,
As you are no doubt aware on Wednesday there will be a vote for amending the Hunting Act. These amendments seem to be purposely aimed and undermining the act to make it unenforceable, effectively legalising this outdated and barbaric practise.
Fox hunting with dogs, along with hare coursing and hunting deer with packs of dogs is cruel and not something that should happen in the 21st Century and this amendment would allow those committing this crime to be immune from prosecution as the CPS would be unable to prove they were not trying to kill the foxes with a pack of dogs if they simply carry a gun with them.
The arguments used for fox hunting with dogs are flawed and do not justify its return.
The argument of pest control is flawed as multiple people on horseback with a large pack of trained horse with numerous support staff is not more efficient than simply shooting the fox. The death of the fox being ripped apart alive by dogs (as proved by numerous studies and post mortems) after being chased to exhaustion is inhumane and not fit for a country of self proclaimed animal lovers. I am not some bunny hugger who doesn’t understand the countryside as some claim all that object to fox hunting are, I understand their are times foxes need to be controlled (despite them only causing less that 4% of livestock deaths and providing control of other pest species like rabbits and rats), but surely in the 21st century a quick death by a bullet to the head is the correct course of action.
The case for the fox hunting being a form of pest control is further undermined by farmers and other involved in the ‘sport’ creating artificial earths and leaving vixens to breed to effectively farming and increasing the number of foxes so they can hunt them. There was even a recent case of fox cub being reared in a barn to release and hunt!
The whole economy and ‘its a tradition’ argument is laughable when the same joy of running across the countryside on horseback following a trail can be had with drag hunting, the only difference is an animal is killed in a cruel way. The tradition argument is flawed when you consider badger baiting, cock fighting and other horrible ‘sports’ were once allowed as traditional sports and now consider abhorrent and illegal for good reason.
In fact if any amendments are made to the hunting act it should be to strength it and make it easier to prosecute those commuting these crimes.
As an MP it is your duty to represent your constituency and people of the UK and the Majority of the UK still oppose fox hunting. I trust you will do what is ethically and democratically right and oppose these amendments
Yours sincerely,
Neil Phillips
Hopefully he wont just tow the party line…..
