My new years message to the Countryside Alliance

"Most people have little doubt that hunting an animal to a slow, desperate death with a pack of dogs is cruel and morally wrong. Doing so because it is 'fun' or 'sport' makes it even less defensible and even more repugnant," said Dr Wall. "The law has now been changed and the Green Party will support the law-abiding drag hunting community. It's not the social event, but the blood sport, we oppose."

Dr Wall also called for a tightening up of the Hunting Act. "The present Act is almost unworkable and the police have said that they are unable to enter private land without the landowner's permission.

Read it here, I went sabbing I think twice, taking on the Beaufort Hunt and yes I must admit I enjoyed the sport of sabbing but times move on.

Ok factory farming is a bigger problem but the arguments for hunting are all about justifying a 'sport' not dealing with a real problem

Badger baiting, cock fighting, fox hunting....cruelty as fun is no good.

I personally want to see the Green Party of England and Wales doing more to promote its animal liberation agenda.

It's a shame to see the Animals Count party standing for the Welsh Assembly, its going to make it more difficult to elect our first Welsh green AMs.

Respect for other species is an essential part of an ecological politics and yes while I am keen on socialism I am well aware of that the socialist record on this, Engels for example, was a keen member of his hunt, is pretty mixed!

A 1935 account of his life noted:

He was a genial soul, fond of the open air, of country walks, of fox-hunting (which he with solemn facetiousness excused as good training for cavalry operations in the event of a revolution), of good eating and good drinking. He was twice married (without legal ceremony) —to Irishwomen in each case, sisters in fact, Mary and Lizzy Burns, each of whom was an enthusiastic Fenian. He was devoted to them, as they were to him. He differed greatly from Marx in so far as he was more immediately companionable and likeable. But they were as one in their enthusiasm for their joint life’s-work.

For a socialist account of anti-hunting, with details of the history sabbing right back to Victorian sabs read the excellent Windeatt, P. (1982) The Hunt and the Anti-Hunt. London: Pluto Press....I guess tricky to get hold of now.

Hope the HSA don't mind me borrowing their photo, if you want to get involved in opposing hunting look at their web site here.


They note, '
The only organisation that works directly in the field to protect wildlife from the huntsmen

Postcards, Petitions and calling on the police to uphold the law aren't things you would normally associate with the HSA but we'll give anything a go at the moment...'