Jeremy Hunt forced into a humiliating U-turn as he backtracks on a vow to push for fox hunting ban to be LIFTED in a desperate scramble for votes from ‘shire Tories’ in leadership battle
- Jeremy Hunt pledged vote on end to fox hunt ban if there is a Commons majority
- Tory leadership hopeful said he personally was in favour of lifting the restriction
- But he then said repealing the ban was ‘not something that is going to happen’
Jeremy Hunt has been forced into a humiliating U-turn after his vow to push for the ban on fox hunting to be lifted sparked widespread anger.
The Foreign Secretary was left scrambling to defuse a row over the possible reintroduction of the blood sport after he said he personally was in favour of reinstating hunting with hounds.
The Tory leadership hopeful said he would bring the issue to the House of Commons if he thought there was a majority for reversing the law.
But he then tried to draw a line under the controversy as he insisted lifting the ban was ‘not something that is going to happen’.
His initial comments were condemned by Labour, which said fox hunting was a ‘barbaric practice’, while furious Tories highlighted that Theresa May made the same pledge before the disastrous 2017 general election.
‘There isn’t a majority in the House of Commons and I don’t see there ever being one,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He repeatedly dodged when asked if he thought fox hunting was cruel.
Jeremy Hunt (pictured campaigning in Godalming today) said he would bring the fox hunting issue to the Commons if he thought there was a majority for reversing the law
In an interview with the Telegraph overnight, he said foxhunting was ‘part of the countryside’ and that he was ‘happy for people to do it’ despite it ‘not particularly (being) my thing’.
Mr Hunt said he would support a vote in Parliament when there was a majority in the Commons likely to back the move.
He said: ‘I don’t hunt myself. It’s not particularly my thing. Look, I think we have to recognise it’s part of the countryside.
‘And I think we have to recognise that in terms of the balance of the countryside it’s part of our heritage.
‘So personally I’m happy for people to do it.’
The move comes as ballot papers for the Conservative leadership contest between Mr Hunt and Boris Johnson begin to be sent to the party membership.
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales following the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004 – which came into force a year later.
The legislation permits drag hunting where hounds are trained to follow an artificial scent.
This is not the first time a potential repeal of the legislation has been suggested.
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition agreement included a pledge to ‘bring forward a motion on a free vote enabling the House of Commons to express its view on the repeal of the Hunting Act which ultimately did not take place.
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales following the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004 – which came into force a year later. Pictured is a drag hunt in 2010
Mrs May also scrapped plans for a vote in 2018, saying: ‘I think there was a clear message about that and that’s why I say there won’t be a vote on fox hunting during this parliament.’
The League Against Cruel Sports said the pledge showed Mr Hunt was ‘out of touch with public opinion’.
They added: ‘The last time a politician said we should bring back hunting – Theresa May in the 2017 General Election – she was punished in the polling booths. Nothing has changed.’
Ian Lavery, Labour Party chairman, said: ‘This Tory leadership race is going from bad to worse.
‘We’ve had Johnson’s tax cuts for the wealthy, a race to the bottom on no-deal Brexit, and now a pledge to bring back this barbaric practice that Labour had proudly banned.’