Strengthen the Hunting Act - write to your MP
The Labour party manifesto detailed their plans to strengthen the Hunting Act 2004, and to close the loopholes that have been allowing hunts to break the law for twenty years.
Pro hunters are continuing to use their supposed love of hounds as a sob story to try and salvage their smokescreen, when in reality if they’d of adhered to the law for the past twenty years then the future of hunting would not be being called into question. It is hunt staff and supporters who have created this situation by continuing to hunt foxes and to be so arrogant to think they can get away with it.
We must now begin to ensure that Labour upholds their promise and remind local MP’s that this issue needs to remain high on their agenda. We have provided a template letter/email below for you to send to your local MP, stressing to them the importance of ensuring these organised crime groups can no longer operate illegally.
As always please keep any correspondence with your local MP polite and keep us updated on any progress. The template provided is just that and we encourage you to personalise this to prevent duplication and risk dismissal from MP’s.
Dear
Firstly, I would like to wish you congratulations on your appointment as MP for <constituency>.
I understand the role of an MP is a busy one, especially proceeding an election but I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my concerns surrounding antisocial behaviour by local and national organised crime groups.
This behaviour consists of but is not exclusive to, road traffic chaos; quads being ridden illegally, often overloaded with no visible number plates and weaving in and out of traffic. Re-occurring trespass with landowners/members of the public being met with hostility and aggression when the perpetrators are confronted. Damage of or theft of personal property, often this is video recording equipment and vehicle tyres being slashed.
All of these listed behaviours are married with organised crime groups illegal fox hunting.
The loopholes within the current Hunting Act are causing a very prominent problem nationwide, whereby hunts are using the pretence of trail hunting as a smokescreen for their illegal activities. Also, the leniency of the punishments received by those who are prosecuted are not a sufficient deterrent to prevent them re-offending or to prevent others from committing the same crimes.
An example of this is the Warwickshire Hunt, who are continually violent and who are putting local communities in grave danger. A recent document detailing an alarming timeline of their behaviour has been published and I have provided the link here. Warwickshire Hunt incident log – Action Against Foxhunting
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case and hunts such as these are prevalent within rural areas all over the country.
We are now coming towards cub hunting season, whereby hunts will go out with the sole intention of training new hounds by killing fox cubs. In this instance there is no pretence of a trail, this is blatant and barbaric illegal hunting and that is why it is vitally important that the loopholes within the current Hunting Act are strengthened to prevent any further persecution of our wildlife and to protect local communities.
I implore you to take action and ensure that this issue remains high on the government’s agenda. For twenty years hunts have been ignoring the law, and that is why we must end this now.
Yours Faithfully
<insert name>
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