'Secret plans' for a hunting comeback

SECRET plans that would see hunting with dogs fully legalised again have been drawn up with the support of senior members of the Conservative Party, it has been claimed.

The plans could provide guidelines if the Hunting Act 2004 – which saw hunting foxes with dogs banned – is repealed and would include the creation of a dedicated body to police the pastime.

Details of a proposal to set up a Hunt Regulatory Authority have emerged, with those behind it saying they have won support from senior Tories, including former party leader and current Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, shadow justice minister Edward Garnier and Viscount Astor, stepfather of David Cameron's wife, Samantha.

Brian Fanshawe, a former master of foxhounds, told the Independent on Sunday that the plans had been drawn up by the Countryside Alliance.

He said he and Stephen Lambert, chairman of the Master of Foxhounds Association, visited several senior Conservatives who agreed that the scheme would be "absolutely essential" in any repeal of the Act.

Mr Fanshawe added: "Everybody recognises it's a very badly written law but we've always felt we couldn't really justify repeal just on bad law and have hunting go back to the status quo of the 80s and 90s. What we want to get away from is being accused of being arrogant and not dealing with genuine complaints."

Mr Lambert said there was a surge in confidence that the ban would be overturned if the Conservatives won the next election, and the plans had been drawn up in readiness. "We've built the car, the key is in the ignition, we're just waiting to turn it," he said.

He said the proposed authority would provide independent regulation and would aim to be above the reproach of cronyism with hunt supporters. It would mean hunting was strictly controlled.

The body would oversee six key rules, including that hunting should avoid "unnecessary suffering", that animals and the environment must be respected and that "reasonable steps" be taken to ensure hunts had the landowner's permission to hunt.

Another rule would be that hunting was carried on "in a manner that respects any other lawful activity being undertaken by any other person on the land"; and that nobody may carry out any hunting likely to bring the pastime into disrepute. Each hunt would have to sign up to the plan and it would be up to the master to ensure rules were obeyed.

The League Against Cruel Sports is preparing to launch an opposition campaign in the run-up to a General Election. A spokesman said: "Hunters are in cahoots with senior politicians who are promising to repeal the Hunting Act when the opportunity arises, despite the fact that polls show public opinion is against them.

"Our campaign will highlight those candidates who have pledged their support for hunting, and those that haven't. After all, 75 per cent of the public support the ban, and politicians who ignore the public always suffer at the polls."

A Tory Party spokesman refused to confirm or deny the claims, but repeated a pledge that a Conservative Government would hold a free vote on the issue in parliamentary time.