From: "Alex Hamilton", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"IT'S NOT OUR JOB TO BAN HUNTING", says Minister
SPORTS Minister Kate Hoey claimed yesterday that it was not the
Government's job to ban foxhunting.
Her comments, which will Infuriate Downing Street, came 24 hours before
Jack Straw plans to unveil a Bill on the issue.
Miss Hoey said Labour was in danger of being distracted from the matters
voters really care about, including health and education. She warned it
would be dragged into a 'very; very; long, long battle' if it tried to
outlaw the sport. Today's Bill will offer MPs a free vote on many
options, from maintaining the status quo to a total ban. Mr Straw will
also publish the findings of the long-awaited report by former Whitehall
mandarin Lord Burns on the impact a ban would have on rural communities.
Hunt supporters have criticised the Home Secretary for finalising the
Bill before he received a copy of Lord Burns's findings last Friday.
They accused Tony Blair of betraying the countryside and threatened a
demonstration in Central London to rival the protest two years ago.
Labour has also encountered strong opposition in the Lords where New
Labour peers such as film producer Lord Puttnam and TV presenter Lord
Bragg have said they will not support the Government on the issue.
Miss Hoey - a long-term opponent of a ban - said it was not 'an
important enough issue' for a Government Bill. She added: 'When you're
looking at what is a very important issue for a minority of people you
have to be very careful when you're making something criminal. 'There's
a lot of infrastructure within the countryside that matters to people
who hunt. 'It may not be huge numbers of jobs but it's not about animal
welfare. 'It's not going to help us save a fox. In fact, there will be
very few foxes left in the country if hunting is abolished.'
--
Soon to be backbencher Kate Hoey said...
At least she sticks up for what she believes in - that alone will get
her thrown out of the Government.
Steve.
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