[Livia]

Originally Posted by Alf

What difference does it make to your life, if it's banned or not?

That's not a me having a go at you question (even if it comes across that way) I'm just interested to know why this is such an important issue for some people?

I must admit, I'm more interested in what I'm gonna have for my tea, than this.

It matters to me because I love animals and I don't want to see them unnecessarily tortured. If Fox numbers must be kept down, then they should be kept down by employing a gamekeeper or similar who will shoot the foxes. They're likely to be a keen shot and the suffering is minimal. There is no benefit from hunting with dogs other than some rich people - and it's almost always rich people - get to chase something till it dies of exhaustion, or is ripped apart by hounds. And that's fun for them. Sometimes they cut off the tail of the dismembered fox and rub the blood over their child's face... blooding them. And in order to do all this, they dress up in fancy dress. And it's not like the hounds have such a great life...

I live in the countryside and there are lots of people - not just London blow-ins like me - who were born and bred in the country who abhor the thought of hunting with dogs. The Tories would be insane to reintroduce it.