Tories scent victory in anti-hunting campaign

It may be a new year but it’s the same old story in Westminster. As the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill winds its way through the legislative process, two opportunistic backbenchers have seized their chance to further their anti-hunting campaign. Professional Boris-basher Sir Roger Gale has today teamed up with Chagossian champion Henry Smith to put down an amendment which would ban animal based scents for hunting activities.

The pair are two of the loudest advocates for animal welfare in the Commons, with both men being staunch critics of fox hunting. So far, so laudable. But, much like the government’s controversial Animal Sentience Bill, could this be another classic case of good intentions leading to bad policy? For Mr S understands the proposal has already caused serious concerns among rural groups about the unintended consequences of a ban on scent based hunts. Hunting a live mammal with dogs is of course already illegal under the Hunting Act, but this new measure would make it illegal to hunt or participate in the hunting of the scent of a dead animal.