In the wake of proposals outlined in the Government’s Animal Welfare Bill, the Labour Party has published its own 50-point plan underlined by a pledge to “promote high standards”. In fairness to a Labour party that has historically been rather good at the broad brush on rural matters, but not such great shakes when it comes to the minutiae, the plan goes into some detail. No one involved in country sports should be surprised, however, that this detail includes proposals to place a ban on the “intensive rearing” of game birds for shooting, and a pledge to “enhance and strengthen the Hunting Act”. These two activities have long been in the sights of a party whose approach to legislating in the countryside is characterised by a combination of antipathy to what it sees as the preserve of the privileged and how well attacking it plays with the electorate. That goes for the politician whose has masterminded this plan, Shadow Environment Secretary, Susan Hayman.
Elected in 2015 to represent the Cumbrian constituency of Workington, Hayman continues a long tradition of ministers who have charge of what might be described as a rural brief, but have no background in the business and sporting life of countryside, beyond naturally enough living in a nice part of it. Her husband, Ross Hayman, is almost predictably in these days
socialist elites, a PR consultant. Neither should anyone should be surprised that the would-be minister is a frequent re-tweeter of the ludicrous outpourings of the Labour Animal Rights Group, but it should be of concern that her plan, as Countryside Alliance chief, Tim Bonner, described it: “reveals a set of priorities that are at odds with most people in rural areas”. Bonner noted that Hayman and Labour had nothing to say on the current “epidemic of sheep worrying by domestic dogs, the widespread problems of poaching and associated criminality, the impact of sky lanterns on domestic and wild animals, or the horrific cost to cattle, farmers and the taxpayer of bovine tuberculosis.”
There is some comfort to be gained from the knowledge that, based upon previous and similar declarations, in the event of a Labour victory at the next election, much of what it says it will do, will remain undone.