Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Conservative MP for North Cotswolds, has expressed strong opposition to the Government’s planned ban on trail hunting in England and Wales, describing it as “another attack on countryside communities.”
Trail hunting is a legal activity where animal-based scents are laid across rural landscapes for hounds to follow, with hunters on horseback trailing behind the pack. This practice mimics traditional fox hunting, which was banned in 2004, but trail hunting itself involves no pursuit or killing of wild animals.
Despite this, the Government argues the ban fulfills a manifesto pledge to eliminate practices used as covers for illegal hunting. They contend that trail hunting can mask the actual hunting of wild animals, posing risks to wildlife, pets, and the public.
READ MORE: M5 Reopens Following Central Reservation Crash
READ MORE: Thousands with Multiple Sclerosis to Gain Access to New NHS Treatment
Sir Geoffrey, who has actively participated in several trail hunting meets over the holiday season, disagrees with the ban. He highlights the region’s rich hunting heritage, home to famous packs like the Vale of the White Horse, Beaufort, Berkeley, Cotswold, North Cotswold, and Heythrop.
“As a rural MP, I am dumbfounded by the Labour Government’s decision to outlaw a legal pastime,” he said. “This is dog-whistle politics aimed at distracting backbenchers without costing the Government financially. While they claim trail hunting hides animal welfare issues, in reality it masks their own policy failures.”
He pointed out that the original fox hunting ban required over 700 hours of parliamentary debate and criticized the timing of the new ban amidst pressing issues like court delays and rising unemployment. He also referred to historical context, noting that former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair later regretted the fox hunting ban, and that Lord Mandelson acknowledged a significant donation from an animal rights group influenced the 1990s legislation.
“The announcement threatens rural jobs and livelihoods already strained by high taxes on farms, pubs, and hospitality businesses,” Sir Geoffrey added. “It will do nothing to help the countryside.”
The Government maintains its commitment to animal welfare, stressing concerns that trail hunting did not exist when the Hunting Act was passed. Their policy states that large packs of hounds could endanger wild mammals, pets, and people, and that the use of animal-based scents increases the potential for illegally chasing wild animals under the guise of trail hunting.
They warn that the practice could be exploited to cover up illegal hunting activities, leading to harmful consequences for wildlife and public safety.