More than double the number of people think the Conservatives are more like a ‘nasty party’ than a ‘compassionate Conservative’ party,

according to a poll published today. The poll shows that only 23% of the public think the Conservatives are the ‘compassionate’ party whilst more than double that number (56%) think the Tories are the ‘nasty party’ on the issue of hunting. In answer to a separate question, 70% believe the Conservatives are wrong to commit parliamentary time to the hunting issue.

Simon Burgess, Labour & Co-op Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and long-time animal welfare campaigner said; " I find it incredible, especially in these very difficult economic times, that David Cameron has said that repealing the hunting ban would be a priority for him. Hunting with dogs belongs to a different barbaric age and I am angry that he is listening to the landed gentry over the wider public. If he really were a moderniser he would have dropped this madness rather than prioritising it."  

The YouGov poll, for the League Against Cruel Sports, suggests that Cameron’s attempts to rebrand his party as ‘compassionate’ have failed when it comes to the hunting issue. These findings are especially damaging at the beginning of a week in which Cameron hopes to win key seats in the European elections.

John Cooper, a barrister and the League’s chairman, says the poll result shows that the public don’t want to see a return to hunting. “Turning the clock back to cruelty is not an option for Cameron,” he said. “We all know that he and members of his shadow cabinet have all enjoyed hunting wild animals for fun but, as the expenses scandal has shown, the public have had enough of self-interested MPs.”

The League’s annual hunting report, also published today, shows that 63% of hunts monitored in the last season were ‘engaged in suspicious activity consistent with traditional hunting practices’. The League monitored thirty-eight separate hunts over a total of 90 days’ monitoring.

“We know that some hunts are breaking the law and all the evidence shows that they are becoming more and more secretive about the times and locations of their meets. One wouldn’t expect a burglar to publish a list of properties he plans to steal from, and so we’re not surprised hunts are taking the same approach,” said Douglas Batchelor, the League’s chief executive.

“Our hunt monitors, who sign up to a strict code of conduct, are increasingly becoming the Neighbourhood Watch of the countryside, reporting suspicious activity to the police and providing evidence for prosecutions,” said Mr Batchelor. “The new police guidelines reinforce that this is the way ahead for the League’s monitoring operations.”

Notes

Des Turner MP has been a long-time supporter of the Hunting Ban and took every opportunity to support it through parliament.

The League commissioned two questions in YouGov’s omnibus poll fielding between Tuesday 26th and Thursday 28th May, which polled 2015 respondents. Full results are available from the League. The summary of the responses is as follows:

Q1: In 2002, a senior Conservative Party politician described the party as having been regarded as “the nasty party”. The current Conservative leader has sought to rebrand them as the “Compassionate Conservatives”. Do you think the Conservative pledge to hold a vote on whether to make the hunting with dogs of deer, hares and foxes legal again is MORE in keeping with a ‘nasty party’ or a ‘Compassionate Conservative’ party?

            A ‘nasty party’    -           -           -           -           -           56%

            A ‘Compassionate Conservative’ party      -           -   23%

            Don’t know        -           -           -           -           -            21%

Q2: Do you believe that the Conservative Party, if elected, should or should not devote Parliamentary time to introducing a Bill to make hunting wild animals with dogs a lawful activity?

            It SHOULD devote parliamentary time to this         -   21%

            It SHOULD NOT devote parliamentary time to this    70%

            Don’t know        -           -           -           -           -              9%