A ban on trail hunting would not undermine the rural economy like Brexit has - Yorkshire Post Letters

Conservative MP for Yorkshire Kevin Hollinrake has accused the Government of ignoring the economic needs of rural communities and farmers because of the proposed ban on trail hunting, which, according to animal welfare groups, is used as a smoke screen for the continued hunting of wild animals.

Brexit has negatively affected farming and the rural economy much more than the banning of trail hunting. Nigel Farage and other Brexiteers describe the ban as “monstrous” accusing the Government of failing to understand rural communities, however, a recent YouGov survey found that most people support a ban hunting, including trail hunting, with 58 per cent of people in rural areas stating that hunting is not important socially or economically to rural communities (YouGov 29/12).

Farming is important to rural communities and to the UK economy, and yet a third of UK farmers make very little profit from farming, partly due to reduced farm subsidies following Brexit with upland farmers losing 37 per cent of support payments (Guardian, Nov 25).

Farmers are also threatened by post Brexit trade deals with countries exporting animal products to UK markets produced to lower animal welfare and environmental standards; later identified as bad for UK farmers by Brexiteers Michael Gove and George Eustace.

For rural communities to thrive, consumers must pay farmers a fair price for food production, we must reduce rural poverty, increase wages, provide affordable housing, schools, good public transport, and employment for young people.

Rejoining the single market and customs union to remove trade barriers with the EU would enable farmers and small businesses to trade seamlessly with our nearest and biggest trading partner allowing access to the most successful trading market in the world – a move that would benefit everyone. Also, we should ban trail hunting.