My Labour Party must ditch 'crazy' trail hunting ban

THE government will drive the final nail into its own coffin if it bans trail hunting and devastates lives in rural communities, a senior member of the party has warned.

- BY DAVID WILLIAMSON Chief Political Commentator

Baroness Mallalieu, 80, who worked as a top barrister and is president of the Countryside Alliance, says that Labour pressing ahead with a ban so soon after pushing farmers to the brink of suicide with its inheritance tax plans could cost it the election and send voters to Reform UK.

She added: “The reality is that the Labour Party cannot win an overall majority without rural seats.”

Sir Keir Starmer's government has launched a consultation on how to deliver its manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting, which mimics traditional hunting by having hounds follow a pre-laid, animal-based scent.

The Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has cited concerns that some people use it “as a ‘smokescreen’ to facilitate illegal hunting with dogs”.

Baroness Mallalieu warned a ban will do nothing to improve animal welfare but it will hurt the rural economy, increase people's isolation and cause “incalculable” damage to relations between the government and countryside communities.