Politics Home Article | Fox hunting: an April fool or a resolution upheld?

This month the Secretary of State for the Environment, Emma Reynolds, is due to launch Defra’s long-teased consultation on banning trail hunting, in a bid to tighten up existing hunting laws in England and Wales.  

But we’ve been here before.  

On April 1 last year, animal welfare organisations were promised that there would be a consultation on strengthening hunting laws “later this year”. 

We were April fooled. 

Then, when the government’s Animal Welfare Strategy landed just before Christmas, the minister for animal welfare, Baroness Sue Hayman, said: “We are working out the best approach to take the ban forward and will run a consultation to seek views in the new year.” 

Apparently that New Year’s resolution held as firmly as a Christmas trifle.  

Now, as we stand at the threshold of the season of nature’s rejuvenation, we are renewing our calls for proper hunting laws to protect our wild mammals and to see a rebirth of this government’s commitment to doing so. 

Make no mistake, every time this consultation is delayed, and the legislation that must surely follow, more innocent animals are condemned to death. Hunts will continue to persecute not just foxes, but deer, otter, mink, and hares. Animals will suffer, and they will die. It is unacceptable, but it seems we are expected to wait patiently while the government and Defra dithers and delays yet again.  

Since the government came to power the League Against Cruel Sports has compiled 648 individual reports of foxes being chased. That’s 648 times a wild mammal has been pursued by a pack of hounds since a government that has specifically pledged to stop illegal hunting has been in power. 

On February 18, 2025, on the twentieth anniversary of the Hunting Act coming into force, we delivered a petition signed by 104,000 people urging the government to close the law’s myriad loopholes and properly ban hunting. 

In January this year, with still no movement from Whitehall we wrote an open letter to Sir Keir Starmer and Emma Reynolds with a view to handing it in at Number 10 this February.  

In just four short weeks more than 36,000 people, including other animal welfare and environmental organisations, signed it.  

When it comes to strengthening hunting laws and banning so-called ‘trail’ hunting, most people think a stronger law is a better law. Polling carried out by FindOutNow and Electoral Calculus in 2024 showed 76 per cent support stronger hunting laws.  

And they expect action, not further delays.  

Those who defend hunting wild mammals with dogs will use any argument to prevent the law being strengthened, including trying to obfuscate the overwhelming evidence that time is up for trail hunting: The public are on our side. The police are on our side. Most MPs are on our side. 

This government was elected with a manifesto pledge to end hunting. It could not be clearer that the time for change is now. Further delays are no longer acceptable. It is time to end hunting.  

Find out more about the consultation at league.org.uk/hunting_consultation