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Review Round-up of the stories that matter to you
2016
Welcome from our
Chief Executive
HUNTING
Hunting rides high
despite extreme weather
Polling across England, Scotland and Wales
give reason to be cheerful
H
UNTS WENT INTO the Christmas
period buoyed by the collapse of
the last Hunting Act prosecution
involving a registered hunt. Three
days into a scheduled 10-day trial
at Newton Abbot Magistrates’ Court, the
private prosecutors, the League Against
Cruel Sports, withdrew all evidence.
The court had sought confirmation
from absent LACS acting Chief Executive
Rachel Newman, a qualified solicitor, that
she had advised expert witness Professor
Stephen Harris not to disclose a close
personal relationship between himself
and LACS Head of Operations Paul
Tillsley. Professor Harris had also
been accused of embellishing
his experience of hunting whilst
giving evidence. Rather
than answer these very
serious questions LACS
withdrew charges.
On the back of this,
an editorial in The Times
in early December
stated: “Britain’s last outstanding hunt
prosecution collapsed in a £100,000 sink
of ignominy. Country sports enthusiasts
are justifiably calling for at least seven
related convictions to be reviewed.”
“83% of hunts
have the same
number or more
subscribers.”
Meanwhile our own survey of hunting
in England and Wales showed that 83%
of hunts have the same number or more
subscribers since the Hunting Act. In
December we also did some polling of
Scottish voters ahead of Lord Bonomy’s
review of the framework surrounding the
Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland)
Act 2002 (due to end in late March), and
found that not a single one of the 1,041
people surveyed raised hunting as the
most influential issue which will affect
the way they vote. Compared to 16 other
issues, hunting was the least influential
with just 2% saying hunting would have
the decisive impact on their vote in
May’s elections.
The media was filled with images of
crowds supporting their
local packs on Boxing
Day giving the lie to
dubious LACS claims
that the Hunting Act is
well supported.
In January, former
nursery nurse Megan Thornbury was given
80 hours community service after she
was convicted of three separate assaults
on hunt supporters in Herefordshire,
including one on a 15-year-old boy.
is an
important year for
the countryside
with the devolved
Welsh Assembly,
Scottish
Parliament and
Police & Crime
Commissioners elections in the
offing, alongside many local council
elections. The Countryside Alliance,
ever vocal, has created manifestos
outlining our key issues for the rural
communities of Wales and Scotland,
as well as priorities for rural police.
Please keep an eye on our website
for updates on polling as well as
the chance for you to lobby your
candidates and ask them to back
our manifestos.
“Digital
engagement has
swiftly become
a central part of
life and we have
embraced it.”
Digital engagement has swiftly
become a central part of life and
we have embraced it as surely as
have all political parties, with great
success. Thousands of you took
part in the recent European firearms
e-lobby run through the umbrella
sporting organisation FACE and we
hope thousands more will join us
in lobbying politicians ahead of
the elections.
While email and social media
are a big part of our future they are
a means, not an end in themselves.
For the Alliance that end will always
be a living, working countryside
where we are all free to take part in
all legitimate activities.
Tim Bonner
Chief Executive
Follow Tim on Twitter
@CA_TimB
4 COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE l SPRING 2016
www.countryside-alliance.org.uk