14/09/04 Conservatives Would Throw Out Fox Hunting Ban

Conservatives Pledge To Reverse Any Ban On Hunting

Cllr Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland, the Conservative parliamentary spokesmen for North and South Swindon, have pledged to support any measure to reverse a ban on hunting when they form part of the next Conservative government.  Robert and Justin were speaking in advance of both the vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday 15 September and the Swindon Borough Council meeting on Thursday 16 September at which an opposition motion supporting a ban on hunting is to be discussed.

Justin said, "While I appreciate that there are many strongly held views on this subject, we must not forget that this is a matter of personal freedom.  If we start outlawing historic pursuits, where do we stop?  Do we outlaw rugby and cricket because of the risk of personal injury?  Do we outlaw fishing because fish have rights too?"

Robert added, "I am totally committed to preserving England?s rural culture.  The Labour government's proposal is just a mean spirited attack on ordinary people who value the countryside in a way that the Islington elites who run New Labour could never understand."

Both Robert and Justin criticised Labour councillors for their choice of motion.  Justin said, "It is worrying that after 25 years of local Labour misrule which has left the Council one of the worst 13 in the country and after consecutive Council Tax hikes that have raised our bills by 42% in three years, is this all Labour want to talk about?"