fox hunting ban today?

[Kinky Gerbil]

at last its a horrible sport, if you can call it sport

 

[clapham_gull]

The majority of people don't want it and it was in the Labour parties manifesto.

The only reason it is "wasting time" is that an unelected second house is delaying the will of parliament.

In my opinion the thing has only got "messy" because the countryside has been getting a rough deal for a while.

There is a feeling (probably valid) that this government couldn't give a toss about people in the countryside since their core vote has traditionally been urban.

That's why the government put it on the back burner. Cynically, I think they have re-introduced it all now because they want the public think that they are returning to their core values.

Whatever the timing, a ban is long overdue. Badger baiting and cock fighting were banned, and the logical conclusion would be to ban fox hunting too.

I'm not sure about new fishing regulations though ! I believe the government are planning this next because it would look hypocritical not to (they've obviously got themselves in a bit of a mess)

I couldn't care less about foxes (or fish)

I have more of a problem with dogs being specifically bred to kill other mammals and then destroyed when they've served their purpose. I'm not an expert on the matter, but I would think that they can't easily be re-educated to do anything else.

 

[Soton Seagull]

About bloody time, after all Labour only promised a ban in 1997.

Pretty much the same time they promised to reform the draconian pub opening hours. Clearly a party of action!

 

[ditchy]

Ah! The masks are comming of now, the true reasons are being revealed.

Class Hatred.

v true

 

[aftershavedave]

now this is a bloodsport more to my liking (from the bbc reporting from outside parliament):

Van loads of police in riot gear have been sent into the area to bolster the hundreds of officers already there, with scuffles in one corner of Parliament Square as police sought to keep demonstrators penned in and away from the House of Commons.

Some bottles and fireworks were thrown and some protesters were filmed with bloodied heads after the clashes.

The PA announcer for the demonstration appealed for calm saying: "You are doing our cause harm. We have no problem with the police."

But some demonstrators continued jostling with police and shouting angry, anti-Tony Blair slogans.

Simon Kenney, a huntsman from Durham, was bleeding from the head.

He said: "I was up at the front trying to make my point to a policeman, then he just hit me with his baton."

 

[lost in london]

Whilst the House of Lords may be unelected, it is possibly the most respected, and generally envied legal 'debating' house in the world. They may be old and a bit fascist, but they know their stuff and without them we would have to trust Tony and his buddies to draw up new laws. I for one am happy they are there just to keep an eye on things.

 

[Smithers-Jones]

I work not too far from Whitehall, and all I have heard all day is the sound of a police helicopter. Apparently it is kicking off down in Parliament Square.

 

[ditchy]

just broke into parliament interupted debate ... marvellous scenes !!

 

[Superseagull]

A hunt master was on the radio today saying that the tradition of fox hunting was about the social side of country life, and not about going out to deliberatly kill foxes. The radio presenter then suggested that drag hunting would be an ideal way to allow the social side of hunting to continue and everyone would be happy.

The hunt master then said in a typical upper class, talking down to the low life, poor, un-educated, city dwellers voice

"how could you have a hunt without being able to kill a fox, it just would not be fun anymore".

If chasing after a fox to the point it collaspes and then watch and hear it get ripped to pieces whilst still alive by a pack of dogs is fun then these people need serious help

Kind of swung the argument for the ban hunting side for me

 

[Oval Gull]

Can we arrange a "hunt Nicholas Soames" day? He might even lose some weight.

 

[Kev the Ape]

i was thinking, if people can get into the chamber, why dont some brighton fans wearing falmer for all t-shirts on prime minsters question time and start having a go at john prescott.

 

[clapham_gull]

Whilst the House of Lords may be unelected, it is possibly the most respected, and generally envied legal 'debating' house in the world. They may be old and a bit fascist, but they know their stuff and without them we would have to trust Tony and his buddies to draw up new laws. I for one am happy they are there just to keep an eye on things.

Totally agreed, but on this issue the opinions seem quite polarised.

Commons anti-hunting, Lords pro-hunting. Someone's gotta win it.., the commons is elected so I'll go with them.

I think that the government originally drafted a compromise bill that would have allowed hunting under license. But the MPs in the commons rejected it.

Lords are never going to agree to it

 

[Kev the Ape]

i was thinking, if people can get into the chamber, why dont some brighton fans wearing falmer for all t-shirts on prime minsters question time and start having a go at john prescott.

good idea??

 

[Scotty Mac]

good idea??

shit idea. everyone will then say they're hooligans and we don't deserve a stadium

 

[Strike]

I think it should continue, I don't like foxes very much and don't have a deep rooted bitterness that there are people more rich or aristocratic than me and want to spoil their fun, this seems to me to be a big motivating factor of many, but note NOT ALL, of the hunt opposers, a real anti-monarchist viewpoint. But if they want to ban it then fair enough, it's a democracy and if most people don't want it then there is nothing I can do. I struggle to get that passionate about it.

As has been said above, what I object to is the amount of time money and energy that is being taken up by this. In the same way that I haven't got much time for the anti animal testing groups, why don't we try and sort out our own problems like child abuse, poverty and social exclusion before looking at these other things?


I agree there.

 

[sullyupthewing]

Fox Hunting, The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable, (Oscar Wilde)

 

[clapham_gull]

Just got back from Whitehall - went and had a quick peak after leaving work. Not much to report, you can't get anywhere near.

There seems to be a bit of a class division where the landowners are in the pubs around Whitehall and the labourers are getting their sleaves rolled up in parliament square (although I might be wrong)

In all seriousness I have never seen so many men standing outside London pubs drinking bitter.

Does anyone know where CAMRA stand on hunting with dogs ?

 

[dougdeep]

Should please Micky Adams.

 

[clapham_gull]

I had a bit of surreal experience walking away from parliament tonight. Got walking alongside three very posh women who were joking about "throwing bombs" at the police..

.. very strange.

Also one of the people who "broke into" the houses of parliament was Bryan Ferry's son. Not such a great surprise since he's quite an active fox-hunting protester and has been arrested before.

 

[CHAPPERS]

As has been said above, what I object to is the amount of time money and energy that is being taken up by this. In the same way that I haven't got much time for the anti animal testing groups, why don't we try and sort out our own problems like child abuse, poverty and social exclusion before looking at these other things?

So until child abuse, poverty and social exclusion are all dealt with to the point that someone decides they are okay we can keep ripping foxes to pieces every weekend?

What else shouldn't we spend money on at the moment??