The same old 'Nasty Party'

More than double the number of people think the Conservatives are more like a ‘nasty party’ than a ‘compassionate Conservative’ party, according to a poll we have published today.

The poll shows that only 23% of the public think the Conservatives are the ‘compassionate’ party whilst more than double that number (56%) think the Tories are the ‘nasty party’ on the issue of hunting. In answer to a separate question, 70% believe the Conservatives are wrong to commit parliamentary time to the hunting issue.

The YouGov poll suggests that Cameron’s attempts to rebrand his party as ‘compassionate’ have failed when it comes to the hunting issue. These findings are especially damaging at the beginning of a week in which Cameron hopes to win key seats in the European elections.

John Cooper, a barrister and the League’s chairman, says the poll result shows that the public don’t want to see a return to hunting. “Turning the clock back to cruelty is not an option for Cameron,” he said. “We all know that he and members of his shadow cabinet have all enjoyed hunting wild animals for fun but, as the expenses scandal has shown, the public have had enough of self-interested MPs.”

Our annual hunting report, also published today, shows that 63% of hunts monitored in the last season were ‘engaged in suspicious activity consistent with traditional hunting practices’. The League monitored thirty-eight separate hunts over a total of 90 days’ monitoring.

“We know that some hunts are breaking the law and all the evidence shows that they are becoming more and more secretive about the times and locations of their meets. One wouldn’t expect a burglar to publish a list of properties he plans to steal from, and so we’re not surprised hunts are taking the same approach,” said Douglas Batchelor, the League’s chief executive.

“Our hunt monitors, who sign up to a strict code of conduct, are increasingly becoming the Neighbourhood Watch of the countryside, reporting suspicious activity to the police and providing evidence for prosecutions,” said Mr Batchelor. “The new police guidelines reinforce that this is the way head for the League’s monitoring operations.”

The full report can be found on our website.

Lib Dems see sense on hunting

The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has "ruled out supporting repeal of the Hunting Act" in a meeting with electors in the South West, reports the Western Morning News.

This is good news. We know that Labour won't repeal the Act, and now we know that the Lib Dems won't either. And why would they? After all, 75% of the public support the hunting ban.

It's just the 'nasty party' Tories who keep banging on about hunting and promising a free vote on repeal. 'Compassionate Conservatives'? Rubbish! We're about to blow the top on their arguments ... watch this space!

National Lethal Weapon Week

The Countryside Alliance have a very odd sense of what's good and what's bad for society. Their latest moral balls-up is their National Shooting Week, which begins tomorrow.

As gun crime increases and as the fear of gun crime climbs even further, it's absolute folly for the bloodsports movement to be promoting guns as 'fun'. What's wrong with good, wholesome sports such as football, rugby and tennis, all of which promote health, camerarderie, and a sense of team spirit without the use of a lethal weapon?

Incidentally, it's interesting to note that the website for National Shooting Week doesn't mention that it's organised by the Countryside Alliance. I wonder why...?

Our press release can be found here.

Harewood shoot themselves in the foot

The agent at Harewood House has 'hit back' at our allegations that snaring which breaches guidelines has taken place on their land. Christopher Ussher is quoted this week as saying "...we don't have an animal shoot...".

If that's the case, what on earth are they talking about here?

War on Wildlife

The League Against Cruel Sports is today publishing a new report, War on Wildlife, which exposes the cruelty of snaring on some of the country's most prestigious country estates. You can read the Report, and our full press release, on our website.

It's interesting to see that the Countryside Alliance thought they'd be able to wrong-foot us by publishing a poll today that shows that "the public supports predator control". This was such a silly poll given that we agree that in some circumstances it is necessary to act to protect some species from predation. But we know it's absolutely wrong to continue using snares which are barbaric, indiscriminate and ineffective, and we know that the public would agree with us.

Time to consider?

Something very strange is going on under London.

A range of advertisements have appeared on London Underground, each without any wording other than a web address - timetoconsider.co.uk. The domain name has been registered by the advertising giant CBS Outdoor. There are four images; a group of hunters on horseback, some intensively reared chickens, an elderly man, and an army tank. Each image on the website has a question. For hunters, the question is 'Birthright or Brutality'. Looks rather like a devious campaign from the Countryside Alliance (maybe this is what they're spending their members' cash on!).

Of course, no right thinking person could think of hunting as a 'birthright' in the same way that noone thinks of slavery or wealth as a 'birthright'. The right to torture animals for some perverse idea of 'fun' is never a 'right' and it is absolutely right that it is illegal.

Go to the website and register your vote for brutality, and show these brutes what you think.

Day of death

Our campaign for a boycott of the Grand National has gained high profile supporters such as Ricky Gervais. That's a positive development to a story that, for us, is entirely depressing. The knowledge that horses will probably be injured or die just because the racing industry won't lower the jumps and shorten the distance is horrid.

Let's see what happens tomorrow. There certainly won't be an office sweepstake here.