Why is Labour banning trail hunting after all this time?

The government has announced its animal welfare strategy, and it's fair to say it's pretty far-reaching.

- SEAN O'GRADY

It covers everything from rearing pigs and chickens to animal rescue centres and shooting hares, but by far the most controversial proposal is a ban on “trail hunting”. This, as the name suggests, is where a scented rag is used instead of a live fox, for a hunt with horses and hounds. The practice was allowed to continue after proper foxhunting was banned by legislation in England and Wales in 2004 (a ban was imposed in Scotland in 2002). It’s going to be controversial.

Why is the government doing this?

There isn’t an overwhelming case, but it is in the 2024 Labour manifesto, and unequivocally: “Labour will improve animal welfare. We will ban trail hunting and the import of hunting trophies. We will end puppy smuggling and farming, along with the use of snare traps. And we will partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing.”

So, even if many humans may end up worse off by the end of the Labour government, at least the foxes will be happy.

Any other reasons?

Plenty. For example, many across all parties see foxhunting as cruel, and as a moral issue. Emma Reynolds, the newish secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, argues that trail hunting has been used as a “smokescreen” for real foxhunting, and that the concession has been abused by the hunts.