By David HideI was taking a New Year's Day walk with friends in one of the many beautiful areas of countryside within our constituency and talk turned to the Boxing Day hunt and whether or not this was something I might ever consider taking part in.
For many reasons the answer is a resounding no. I don't like the perceived or otherwise exclusivity of hunting, I can't move away from the image of upper class toffs on expensive horses being serviced by those working within the low paid rural economy, as they ride roughshod across the countryside. Surely in any other area of our life their behaviour would be condemned as nothing short of the worst kind of hooliganism ?
I also object to the damage it does to the countryside and the lack of respect many involved in hunting show, while at the same time claiming that this activity supports the countryside.
But the main reason why I object to hunting is because it is barbaric and there must not be any concession to this activity in a modern Britain.
I had a perfect start to New Year as I walked on footpaths between the villages of Shipley and Dial Post and cannot conceive of a more enjoyable rural activity.
Since then I have signed an on-line petition in support of the ban and I have also emailed our MP, Francis Maude, to obtain his views on this issue. There are noises coming from the Conservative Party to suggest that if they were to win the next election they might repeal the ban on fox hunting. The residents of Horsham need to know where its candidates stand on this issue, ahead of the general election.
Our own candidate's opinion is already published on this site and I look forward to publishing Maude's response, but in the meantime I encourage you all to sign the petition by going to http://www.backtheban.com and email all your friends and relatives asking them to do likewise.
More information on hunting can be found at www.keepcrueltyhistory.com