As I understand it the argument for Fox hunting is that it is a country thing and townies just don't understand.
Bollocks! is what springs to mind.
I was raised in the North of Scotland (not replete with towns) and there were no eejits charging around on horseback hunting foxes. However, there were lots of people fishing for salmon and hunting with guns - both deer and pheasant. All most pleasant in the pot.
The horseback hunt was the sport of the gentry and they hunted wild boar and deer. The problem is they hunted them to extinction. The fox hunt is a rather lame substitute because there was nothing left to chase - so much for "custodians of the countryside". Oscar Wilde referred to them "as the unspeakable chasing the uneatable"
Incidently, foxes eat wabbits - without foxes we would be over-run with the little blighters.
However, as much as the hunting fraternity despise the townie if you were to say "actually I don't want your produce I will buy from other sources" you would hear them squeal like... well like wild boars actually.They could not survive without the townies and their Euro subsidies - despite their protestations.
One of the funiest things I have seen on TV recently was the look of abject disbelief that the Met. would bop their betters over the head if they blocked the road to Westminster. They were aghast and called the boys in blue "animals". I think they thought the police had truncheons marked "for hippies, leftos and peaceniks only" I almost wet myself...although that might just have been due to too much apple.
So yes, I approve of the ban. I was delighted that Scotland banned it a while back although admittedly we only had about a dozen hunts mostly down in the border regions. I did hear a chap on the radio the other week saying that they had not scrapped their hunt as they had moved onto drag hunting and he said "it is a lot more fun than I thought it would be" (although in a strangulated accent I could not even begin to emulate). So don't be surprised if, after all the tantrums, there are few if any hunts that throw in the towel and shoot all their dogs and horses. Hunting is a huge social thing as much as anything else and when push comes to shove they have already bought the nice red jackets and all the tack.
On one last note, I am old enough to remember one of the earliest excuses given to preserve hunting was that it is purely tradition and most times the fox gets away
They could not survive without the townies and their Euro subsidies - despite their protestations. 
although that might just have been due to too much apple.
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Originally Posted by gemby!
Another point is if I was to set my dog on any animal I would probably face some time in jail and at least a ban from keeping animals so if I can't do it in my garden no1 else should be able to do it in my countryside. 
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