berettaboy Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Daily telegraph 26/02/03 The future of game shooting in its present form was in doubt last night after MPs voted to ban the use of terriers by gamekeepers to flush foxes to guns or to kill them underground. MPs on the standing committee of the Hunting Bill voted by 19-5 to support an amendment by Michael Foster, the anti-hunting MP, banning the use of dogs underground. Shooting bodies and Opposition MPs expressed surprise that Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister, was among those voting to amend his own Bill. As drafted, the Hunting Bill would simply have required gamekeepers to obtain a licence for terrier work. Nearly half of all gamekeepers in England and Wales are estimated to use terriers to control foxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Saw it in the Times as well. So why don`t we all get writing to our MPs etc? This is the site William gave us a month or two ago. If your MP has email you can contact him/her directly http://www.frontrank.co.uk/ :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Ok i'm willing to write to my MP. What we need is a letter typed up by a fellow member that can write a decent letter, as sadly my communiction skills in the writing department are somewhat lacking. all the best yis Benny from crossroads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 How about this (but please put in your own variations cos these MPs know an organised write in a mile off): Dear ...., When this Government was elected for its second term it pledged no further restrictions on shooting sports. Shooting is a significant direct and indirect employer and has a growing army of enthusiasts. I was therefore disappointed to learn that the Parliamentary Standing Committee scrutinising the Hunting With Dogs Bill has made a new clause declaring that flushing foxes by gamekeepers with dogs (or killing them underground) will be made illegal. It is essential to control foxes on game shoots as they are major predators. I would ask you to use your influence with Government and your fellow MPs in order to reject this amendment. If enacted, it will do major harm to shooting, contrary to Government assurances, and will harm both legitimate shooting and the countryside. Yours sincerely, A. Hitler (Mr) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 That sounds a good idea Benny,it,s just getting someone with the right writing skills to draft the letter for us. Having read the posts on this forum for the last 6 months and seen all our spelling mistakes and bad grammar,I reckon the job is down to a maximum of about 3 posters. Let,s hope one of them takes up the offer. Whoops,one of them just posted in front of me. Great,we have a volunteer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Well put flightline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Im only a country boy, never went to eaton so there fore wont be able to help =( nicely typed flight line Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Good one flightline But if i remember correctly the opening line should be dear faschist(sorry bout the spellin) bully boy may the seed of your loin be fruitfull in the boomshanker of your women. (as neil quoted to rick for the youngones) :o all the best yis yp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammergun Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 The following website may be of interest: http://www.faxyourmp.co.uk You can send faxes direct to your MP. It doesn't really surprise me. Labour are always anti-countryside, be it country sports, foot-and-mouth, planning or small abbatoirs etc. Shooting and fishing are in the firing line too, make no mistake, and any opportunity to adversely affect them or other country activities will be jumped upon. There are some who view the use of any kind of working dog, or even the riding of horses as abuse of animals. It is up to ourselves to act and defend our interests as nobody else will. Visiting rural France last week made me realise that any attempts to legislate against country sports over there would result in mass blockades, civil disobedience and a state of anarchy if their government were foolish enough to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted February 28, 2003 Report Share Posted February 28, 2003 You might need to add to any letter that you are a constituent of theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted February 28, 2003 Report Share Posted February 28, 2003 Here's a list: http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/alms.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJ Posted February 28, 2003 Report Share Posted February 28, 2003 When lobbying your M.P, don't worry too much if your letter / fax / e mail contains the odd spelling or grammar slip up. They expect to receive correspondence from all walks of life, particularly in a rural constituency, and I think if they receive lots of letters, similar in wording, they tend to lump them together. Express your views and concerns, and avoid the temptation to be sarcastic or rude (difficult I know). The important thing is LET THEM KNOW WE'RE HERE, and remind them that we are the ones who put crosses in boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berettaboy Posted February 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2003 Just faxed mine using hammerguns link. I'll let you know what he says... BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted February 28, 2003 Report Share Posted February 28, 2003 Just faxed mine using hammerguns link. I'll let you know what he says... Just clicked on the link. Put in the postcode and got a picture of somebody I didn't know. The name was right though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul collins Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 its a great job for flightline he puts it in a perfect way .... i wonder if at the bottom of the letter you could put a small footnote.... saying how we feel about Prescot!!!! aarrrhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 My feelings about Prescott are unprintable! :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadSpringer Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Here is the reply I received from my MP Mr Patrick Mercer. Thank you very much for your letter dated 1 March. I agree with you that the Hunting Bill will have the potential to impact not just fox hunting but many other leisure pursuits as well if it is passed in its current form. As you mention in your letter, the Bill has been amended so that the use of dogs below ground for use in any respect of hunting will be banned. My Conservative colleagues and I had received reassurances from the Government that this would not be the case. This change to the Bill not only has implications for fox hunting and game keeping but also for animal welfare, as many cubs may now starve to death as they will be left abandoned or orphaned. Additionally, there are other real dangers for the future of shooting and angling. If this Bill is enacted on the principle that sports involving harm to mammals must be judged by the ideas of utility and cruelty, then this idea could be extended to other pursuits. Shooting and angling would almost certainly fail the two tests if they were applied to fish and game birds. Whilst the Government claims that this is not their intention, animal welfare groups such as the League Against Cruel Sports may seek to do so in the future. Consequently the Hunting Bill must be dealt with great caution. Whilst the matter is a free vote in the Commons, I believe that the Bill needs further attention in Parliament and I will do all I can to help support the legitimate shooting that takes place in our countryside. Yours sincerely (dictated by Mr Mercer and signed in his absence by Mrs Heather Millican Parliamentary Assistant) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadSpringer Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 I was also impressed with the speed of his reply! To be honest I didn't expect to get a reply for some time, only to recieve the bog standard letter. As you say William Fair play to the Chap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 A very good reply-he`s obviously completely on side and probably a country sports enthusiast himself. A pity there are not a lot more like him. Why don`t you ask the local paper and Mr Mercer if the correspondence can be printed-with your name/address changed to deter loonies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Here here, Well put William! Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadSpringer Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Flightline, good idea a mate of mine said the same thing. Will look in to it and let you all know! Well put William, the way forward has got to be through education! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berettaboy Posted March 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 I still haven’t heard back from my own MP (Hugh baily Lab.). I did a bit of research and found out that he is a vehement opponent of foxhunting. So no surprise really. Recently I was passed a magazine by a colleague called ‘American Hunter’ it’s a primarily deer hunting magazine for anyone who’s interested. One article described how the NRA (National rifle association) actively campaigned in elections against those politicians who were against its aims (Some of the Californians were trying to reinterpret the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms). The article clamed that no politician they opposed was successfully elected. This got me thinking. I wrote to my MP on the issue of foxhunting (which I don’t do BTW) and the pompous **** didn’t even have the courtesy to reply. So how do I know what his stance is and whether I should vote for him? Therefore I think that the BASC should consider quizzing politicians before an election (maybe a questionnaire) to find out their views on fieldsports. Also before I am flamed, yes I know that there are a lot more important issues, but when a government spends more time debating foxhunting than protecting children from paedophiles then it’s really asking for this. Derek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 I don't think shooting has anything to hide the more publicity and education the better. I think a proper ad campaign could convince people to buy game not chicken. Seeing strong healthy pheasants in the country and seeing disgusting overweight and featherless chickens in sheds... Know which I prefer to eat!! Neither do I but would you really want to take a risk with your full home address or full name printed in the local paper attached to a pro hunting or shooting letter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 Hunting Bill Civil servants are drafting an amendment to the hunting bill, which will allow gamekeepers to continue to control foxes using dogs underground. BASC Director of Communication, Christopher Graffius, and Chief Executive, John Swift, met with Rural Affairs Minister, Alun Michael, to discuss the issue on March 12. During the meeting the minister confirmed the government’s commitment to protect shooting sports. Following the meeting Christopher Graffius said: “It was a very positive meeting and we are confident that the bill will be amended to protect the crucial pest control work carried out by gamekeepers. We are pleased that Alun Michael has demonstrated a pragmatic approach to the issues involved, and demonstrated good faith and a willingness to honour his commitment to protect shooting. “Mr Michael acknowledged the necessity of allowing gamekeepers to use dogs underground to help control foxes. The wording of the amendment will be carefully drafted in order to allow this work to continue without introducing a loophole into the bill. BASC remains opposed to the hunting bill in principle, but is determined to work to safeguard the interests of shooting.” This was in the BASC Eastern Region newsletter-good news I think and, who knows, we may have played a part! :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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