Hunting with Dogs

This issue has been raised with me several times since I became your candidate. My position is that, if I am elected, I want to seek the views of my constituents in order to reflect their views in the free vote that the Party has said will take place. Conservative Party policy is to bring the Hunting with Dogs Act 2004 back before Parliament and offer a free vote to all MPs.


I think there are two main arguments put forward on this issue:-


The Argument for Repeal of the Act

a)The impossibility of enforcement. The police have said that they can no longer attend every hunt meeting because of the time and manpower it requires. Who do they arrest - the Hunt Master?; the riders?; the followers?; the landowners who permit the hunt to ride across their land? There have been very few successful prosecutions.

b)The belief that the Government should not get involved in the way people lead their lives unless necessary for the benefit of society as a whole.

The people who support this policy are not happy for Government to interfere in the rural way of life. Many of them do not approve of Government banning something which involves very few people and relatively few foxes. They also see it as part of rural life and a means of controlling fox numbers by culling old or diseased foxes as the young and healthy are far less likely to be killed.


The Argument for Retaining the Act

Supporters of the Act believe that it is a cruel pastime which attracts people who have no concern for animal welfare, and none for foxes in particular. If Government allows it to continue, then society as a whole is seen to approve of what is a cruel and barbaric "sport".

The League Against Cruel Sports has been active and vocal in its opposition. It attended many hunt meetings and encouraged hunt "saboteurs" to prevent the hunt from setting off. It reported breaches of the Act to the police, and encouraged prosecutions.


Summary

Everyone agrees that foxes can be a pest. They kill livestock and are particularly dangerous to very young lambs. Their numbers need to be controlled. Methods of killing them include shooting and trapping. If done properly, either of these methods may be more efficient and more humane than hunting, but no method can guarantee that the fox does not suffer.

What do you think?

If elected I will obtain a fair poll from all parts of the constituency and promise to vote with the majority view.

 


Dr Sarah Wollaston MP

In August 2009 I was selected by voters of all political affiliations as the Conservative candidate for Totnes, in Britain's first ever fully open postal primary. This has given me a special mandate to represent all views and not just those of the Conservative Party, which I intend to carry forward now that I have been elected as your MP.

After 16 years of working as a GP in rural Devon, I felt it was time for me to stand up for many of the things we all care about, such as strong communities, local healthcare and employment.

As a doctor and a former police surgeon, I have seen the devastating effects of alcohol-related crime and binge drinking, and would take the opportunity to bring my professional expertise to these and other related topics.

In the current atmosphere of cynicism and mistrust of politicians, with my real life experience I can fully appreciate the difficulties that many people are facing in their lives.

Healthcare and science are seriously under-represented in Parliament. I intend to fight for the NHS and for healthcare that is tailored to our needs rather than those of big cities.

I am committed to taking the views of the whole constituency into account and promise to listen and be open to arguments.