Hunters have no recourse (From Gazette Series)

Hunters have no recourse

WHEN the first successful prosecutions are inevitably made and the Hunting Act is shown to have teeth, perhaps those disingenuously bleating on about it being 'unworkable' will shut up and take notice. New laws always need time to bed in.

The Act was not passed by Tony Blair or based at all on any notion of social bigotry, as the Beaufort and Berkeley Hunts would love us to believe. If anything, Blair would have loved the issue to quietly go away.

No, it was an expression of the democratic will of Parliament and, as such, a reflection of the majority. And boy, it was a long time coming, wiping out disgusting activity which is totally at odds with any compassionate society.

Speaking of compassion, the newly-anointed media-babe David Cameron, a man not personally averse to a bit of fox blood now and then, has given a tacit nod to revoking the ban should the electorate ever buy into his own interpretation of what compassion means. Whether the Conservatives have the guts to make a manifesto commitment to the issue, however, is entirely another question. Their own advisers, word has it, know only too well that a pledged repeal of the Act would be a crucial vote-loser in marginal seats, where every vote counts.

So happy 2006, hunters. The Hunting Act is tightening, like it or not. And please remember, you are not above the law, whether you agree with the law or not. Either respect it, or have the guts to openly breach it (as so many of you noisily pledged you would initially) and face the consequences.

As Ghandi said, if you disagree with a law, you must be brave and prepared to break it - and then face the consequences.

Be assured that, thanks to all the monitoring technology we now have, your activities will be keenly followed.

Simon Hacker Hillesley