Harvie pushes First Minister for fox hunting ban in Scotland
The First Minister was pressed to reveal if Scotland will take a drastically different approach to the Tories’ plans for foxhunting in England and Wales
At First Minister’s Questions, Patrick Harvie MSP, the Scottish Greens’ co-convener highlighted how the Conservative Party’s manifesto gives a commitment for a vote on the issue in the House of Commons and how a Tory MSP, who recently resigned, proudly claimed that foxhunting was a “way of life” for her.
Harvie then pushed the First Minister on the case for a “complete ban” on “mounted fox hunting” in Scotland.
Glasgow MSP, Patrick Harvie said:
“Just a few days ago, the Prime Minister proudly declared again that she has ‘always supported fox hunting’ and that she maintains a ‘commitment’ to its reintroduction in England and Wales.
“Now, the Tories general election manifesto plans to take us a step backward in seeing this cruel, barbaric act return to parts of these islands, and at the weekend it was revealed that one of Ruth Davidson’s MSP colleagues, who recently resigned, is a member of fox hunting club in Scotland, claiming it was part of their ‘way of life’.
“Around 800 foxes are killed by hunts each year in Scotland and around 20% of these are killed by packs of hounds rather than being shot, in clear breach of the Wild Mammals Act. Given the countless number of people who are contacting Green MSPs this week about fox hunting, the Scottish Government must give a strong commitment to eradicate the practice in Scotland.
“If the Scottish Government plans to consult on the proposals put forward by Lord Bonomy, ministers must confirm that this consultation will include the option of a complete ban of mounted fox hunting in Scotland; and, failing that the removal of the exemption in the Act that allows flushing of foxes to guns, given the significant evidence that this activity is acting as a decoy for traditional hunting. We must use the powers of this parliament to take a drastically different approach.”