Letter: Traditions of the hunt
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Twaddle such as "the ban [on hunting] is a smack in the face to the people who built the country, fought and died for it" presumably recycles comments by huntsmen who arrogantly regard themselves and their imagined aristocratic forebears as the real British nation.
In reality, the freedom for which British people have "fought and died" includes the right of the 76 per cent who want a ban on hunting to achieve one by parliamentary democracy. The recent attempt by the self-appointed "Countryside Alliance" to overturn the 1949 Parliament Act, rejected by the High Court, would have resulted in the repeated votes of democratically elected MPs in the House of Commons being set aside at the behest of unelected landowning aristocrats and political appointees in the House of Lords. This is the 18th-century mindset of the hunting lobby, accurately represented by Meredith Stranges' letter.
CHRISTOPHER CLAYTON
Waverton, Cheshire
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments