North Devon Poll

[oakash]

All hunting people: There is a poll in the North Devon Journal about repeal. Please vote because the anti hunters are voting from all over the country! Voie 'Yes' for repeal! Go to:
www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news

Happy New Year and hunting (eventually, when it thaws)

 

[rosie fronfelen]

have just voted, its virtually 50/50 at present, not too good!!

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

Should put this poll is for everyone in title makes it seem like just for north Devon pep!

 

[SueEllen]

Yes do change the title if you can.

 

[icemaiden113]

Will it really make things better if it is repealed?! I am not an anti far from it but my concern is that we would be worse off!

 

[ratsupadrainpipe]

yes I voted as well.

 

[combat_claire]

The pressure that hunt staff are under to ensure that they are complying with the requirements of the act, the knowledge that they could face spurious allegations and private prosecutions at the drop of the hat leaves me in no doubt that we need repeal.

 

[Xlthlx]

I think that is a good point CC. It's all very well for people that follow a hunt to say it doesn't matter but they are not liable to prosecution.

 

[icemaiden113]

I don't just follow the hunt!! I am the huntsmans wife! At the minute most hunts go about there normally hunting and are careful - a repeal could make us worse off especially as there is talk of licensing. It also brings the anti's back out!! It is now illegal for them to video anything without permission! Making it much harder for prosecution - and no one has ever been prosecuted!

 

[Xlthlx]

I wasn';t referring specifically to you

 

[oakash]

Thanks for voting all, poll seems still open if you want to vote!
It is vitally important that we have repeal - don't think another five years of this government would let us continue - they would destroy hunting this time around! - so it is vital we get this unjust and unworkable Act repealed for freedoms sake.

 

[combat_claire]

Nobody has ever been prosecuted? I think there are several huntsman who would take issue with that statement. There have been prosecutions of Tony Wright at the Exmoor (overturned on appeal); Minehead Harriers (guilty); Quantock Staghounds (guilty); Heythrop (thrown out); Devon & Somerset Staghounds (thrown out); Ullswater (thrown out), Percy (thrown out) & Isle of Wight (Dropped). We are also led to believe there may be more cases pending. The fact that your husband is hunting legally does not mean he will never face a spurious case. The Isle of Wight masters and hunt staff found themselves arrested in a dawn raid.

The sad fact is that things will not continue to rumble along in the way they have. If we don't get repeal then expect to see the Hunting Act tightened in such a way that it will make it impossible to carry out any form of exempt hunting. The back benchers are hungry for reform and cannot be underestimated.

There is also the slight snag that the recent case only forbids covert filming, if they want to blatantly harass us then there will still be little we can do.

I don't want to be depressing, but we all need to work hard in the upcoming election. Otherwise the English countryside could be a vastly different place.