League denounces Government cowardice in face of hunting threats
The League Against Cruel Sports today denounced the Government’s decision to allow any delay in implementation of the Hunting Act in the face of threatened legal action by the Countryside Alliance.
League chairman John Cooper said: “The Countryside Alliance tried the same thing in Scotland in 2002. The Scottish court rejected their case and their request for an injunction delaying the implementation of the ban. There was no delay in implementation of the hunting ban in Scotland while these desperate legal manoeuvres were undertaken.
“We have no reason to believe the English Courts will not do the same. We are appalled that Downing Street is giving into threats of violence, bullying and intimidation instead of defending the decisions of Parliament and doing everything within their power to uphold the Hunting Act which now has Royal Assent. There is no reason whatsoever for the law not to be enforced
“Time and time again the elected chamber has voted overwhelmingly to ban the barbarity of hunting with dogs. There is no excuse for further delays. Last month Alliance president Baroness Anne Mallalieu said in the House of Lords, ‘If we are going to be banned, get on with it’. We could not agree with her more.”