Latest news with #LeagueAgainstCruelSports
South Wales Argus
16-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
League Against Cruel Sports protest outside Senedd
The League Against Cruel Sports' 'birds' were confined in 'tiny, barren cages' to expose what they say are low welfare standards in breeding pheasants and partridges for sport. Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "These cages are tiny, they are bleak, and the birds suffer immensely. "They are injured by attempting to fly out, and the females are injured by the male's talons repeatedly pulling out her back feathers. "All of this is so eggs can be produced in their tens of millions to provide birds that only exist to be shot." The campaigners' call for a ban on these cages aligns with a growing public demand for an end to cage-based farming systems. A UK Parliament petition, launched by Joanna Lumley, to ban cages for farmed animals has surpassed 100,000 signatures. The league is urging the UK and Welsh governments to act, calling on the Senedd to take the lead by legislating a ban in Wales. Ms Slawinski added: "It is time for change and it is time for the government to ban these cruel cages."
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Fox hunting in Scotland 'still happening' two years on from 'strongest ban in UK'
A new report by the League Against Cruel Sports warned huntsmen continue to make 'brazen attempts' to exploit loopholes and flout the law. Fox hunting is still happening two years on from Scotland's new strengthened ban coming into force, a report has warned. The research by the League Against Cruel Sports found although the wildlife legislation is having a 'real impact', huntsmen are still making 'brazen attempts' to exploit loopholes and flout the law. The Record previously revealed how dozens of supposedly strict fox control licences have been issued under a new scheme since the law came into force with scant monitoring. We've also documented how at least two of Scotland's notorious established hunts have used NatureScot licences to continue their activities. However, in a sign that the law is making an impact, nearly half of the country's hunts have folded since the 2023 Act was passed. The League Against Cruel Sports hailed the 'significant progress' in implementing 'the UK's strongest anti-fox hunting legislation' in Scotland. But it also highlighted mounting evidence of determined efforts by some huntsmen to 'evade the law's intent' including suspected illegal hunting activities. Robbie Marsland, Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland at the anti-blood sports group, said: 'Two years after strengthened legislation was introduced to end fox hunting in Scotland for good, our monitoring reports both signs of progress and brazen attempts to exploit loopholes in the law. 'During the passage of the Bill, ministers were clear that hunting with dogs has 'no place in modern Scotland', that the licensing scheme would be 'rigorous' and that a license 'should be the exception'. 'Instead, what we've seen is that the issuing of these supposedly exceptional permissions has become commonplace and routine, with over 60 licenses issued this past season. 'More troubling still is that two hunt operators currently under Police Scotland investigation for illegal hunting were operating under these very licenses. 'This is not just bending the rules - it's a deliberate attempt to preserve a cruel practice that has no place in modern Scotland." He added: 'On-the-ground observation by our field staff is making it harder for hunts to operate in the shadows, and that is something to be proud of. 'One day we'll look back and see that this legislation worked, but we're not there yet.' Hunting foxes with more than two dogs is illegal in Scotland following the landmark Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) 2023. The new law was aimed at closing loopholes in previous 2002 legislation which had been deemed ineffective. However, it's still possible to hunt with a larger pack of hounds under licence provided it's strictly for reasons such as protecting livestock or wildlife. Last August, we revealed how one notorious group, the Lauderdale Hunt in the Borders, had obtained a licence to continue their activities. And in January, the Record exposed how the hunt allegedly travelled 100 miles to rampage through the Renfrewshire countryside terrorising foxes under cover of an official licence. Another hunt, the Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Foxhounds, is understood to have used the licensing scheme for a hunt earlier this year. However, the group is the latest of Scotland's hunts to shut down in the wake of the new ban, becoming the fourth of Scotland's ten established hunts to disband since 2023. It came after a 64-year-old member of the hunt was charged with assault after allegedly punching an animal rights activist in the face at the group's final meet in March. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The League also claimed its offer to assist wildlife agency NatureScot in licence monitoring was rebuffed for 'GDPR and personnel' reasons. Marsland added: 'NatureScot's acceptance of our assistance would significantly enhance monitoring without burdening their resources.' The report notes Police Scotland are currently investigating four hunts for suspected illegal hunting, including two cases where hunts were operating under NatureScot licenses. Emma Slawinski, Chief Executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: 'The progress being made in Scotland should give hope to everyone who wants to see fox hunting consigned to the history books. 'It's clear that with political will and proper enforcement, we can end this cruel practice for good.' NatureScot's Licensing Manager Liz McLachlan said: 'We are committed to achieving the aims of the Hunting with Dogs Act. "We carefully assess all applications to ensure that they meet legal requirements. We are aware of reports of illegal hunting and are working with stakeholders and Scottish Government officials as appropriate. "We monitor compliance with our own staff and liaise with Police Scotland when necessary.' The Scottish Government was also approached for comment.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Profile: Who is arrested MP Dan Norris?
Labour MP Dan Norris has been suspended from the party on Saturday after he was arrested on suspicion of non-recent sexual offences against a girl and rape. Avon and Somerset Police said that a man in his sixties was arrested on Friday and has been released on conditional bail. Mr Norris was elected as Labour MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, a constituency that lies roughly between the cities of Bristol and Bath. The 65-year-old defeated veteran Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg for the seat in last year's general election, winning 20,739 votes compared to his competitor's 15,420. In 2010, Mr Norris lost his seat to Sir Jacob, having represented the Wansdyke constituency – which became North East Somerset that year – since he first became an MP in 1997. After his victory was announced, he declared: 'We've got Mogg-xit done', in a reference to Sir Jacob's strong Brexiteer stance. Mr Norris, who lives in Pensford, has 'deep local roots' in the area having previously worked as an NSPCC-trained child protection officer and ran his own businesses there, according to the West of England Combined Authority website. He served as assistant whip under the Tony Blair administration from 2001 to 2003, and then as an environment minister under Gordon Brown from 2009 to 2010. Mr Norris has been Labour's metro mayor of the West of England since 2021, when he beat Conservative rival Samuel Williams by taking 59.5% of the vote. The mayor leads the West of England Combined Authority, which covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire, and makes decisions on issues including transport, homes, business, jobs and the economy in the region. He was due to step down from the role ahead of the local elections next month. Mr Norris is also chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting. In a bio on the charity's website, he said: 'I'm immensely proud to be Chair of the League Against Cruel Sports. Their work is hugely impressive and their impact has been significant. 'I'm a life-long animal welfare advocate and one of my proudest achievements was calling for, and voting through, the hunting ban as an MP under the previous Labour government and later serving as an Environment and Rural Affairs Minister.' In December, he urged ministers to 'close the legal loopholes that allow needless cruelty to animals, and implement a proper ban on hunting once and for all'. One of the Government's manifesto pledges was to ban trail hunting.
The Independent
05-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Profile: Who is arrested MP Dan Norris?
Labour MP Dan Norris has been suspended from the party on Saturday after he was arrested on suspicion of non-recent sexual offences against a girl and rape. Avon and Somerset Police said that a man in his sixties was arrested on Friday and has been released on conditional bail. Mr Norris was elected as Labour MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, a constituency that lies roughly between the cities of Bristol and Bath. The 65-year-old defeated veteran Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg for the seat in last year's general election, winning 20,739 votes compared to his competitor's 15,420. In 2010, Mr Norris lost his seat to Sir Jacob, having represented the Wansdyke constituency – which became North East Somerset that year – since he first became an MP in 1997. After his victory was announced, he declared: 'We've got Mogg-xit done', in a reference to Sir Jacob's strong Brexiteer stance. Mr Norris, who lives in Pensford, has 'deep local roots' in the area having previously worked as an NSPCC-trained child protection officer and ran his own businesses there, according to the West of England Combined Authority website. He served as assistant whip under the Tony Blair administration from 2001 to 2003, and then as an environment minister under Gordon Brown from 2009 to 2010. Mr Norris has been Labour's metro mayor of the West of England since 2021, when he beat Conservative rival Samuel Williams by taking 59.5% of the vote. The mayor leads the West of England Combined Authority, which covers Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire, and makes decisions on issues including transport, homes, business, jobs and the economy in the region. He was due to step down from the role ahead of the local elections next month. Mr Norris is also chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting. In a bio on the charity's website, he said: 'I'm immensely proud to be Chair of the League Against Cruel Sports. Their work is hugely impressive and their impact has been significant. 'I'm a life-long animal welfare advocate and one of my proudest achievements was calling for, and voting through, the hunting ban as an MP under the previous Labour government and later serving as an Environment and Rural Affairs Minister.' In December, he urged ministers to 'close the legal loopholes that allow needless cruelty to animals, and implement a proper ban on hunting once and for all'. One of the Government's manifesto pledges was to ban trail hunting.
Telegraph
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
66 horses have died at the Grand National in the past 25 years. Is it time to call it a day?
It is among the most famous and most watched horse race globally, viewed by about 800 million people around the world. The Grand National occupies a special place in the British sporting calendar, with the Liverpool meeting evoking excitement and nostalgia in equal measure. Even if we watched no other horse race during childhood, we probably watched this one, encouraged by parents who had a flutter on a runner with a funny name they liked. A third of all adults in Britain are expected to have placed a bet on today's race, with some £150 million splashed out in total. And the Grand National Festival doesn't just boost the coffers of the bookies: it is worth tens of millions to the local economy, too. In 2022, it netted some £60 million for the Liverpool City Region, according to researchers at Liverpool Business School. But if the Aintree event, which stretches back 186 years, is something of a national institution, on a par with the tennis at Wimbledon or the FA Cup final, it certainly does not lack controversy. In the past 25 years, 66 horses have died during the three-day meeting and many more have been injured. What makes the race a compelling spectacle has also made it a dangerous one over the years, say critics, with the course risky for both horses and their riders. One horse has already suffered a fatal injury during this year's festival. Willy De Houelle, aged four, died after falling in the Juvenile Hurdle on Thursday, the Grand National's opening day. Animal rights campaigners were quick to seize on the incident to call for change. 'The tragic death…illustrates why we need a new, independent regulator that has horse welfare as its number one priority,' said Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, in a statement that day. 'We need to replace the British Horse Racing Authority, make immediate moves to outlaw the whip and stop sacrificing horses for entertainment and the profits of the gambling companies.' In previous years, protesters incensed by perceived animal cruelty have disrupted the main event, most recently in 2023, when the steeplechase was delayed by almost 15 minutes after members of the Animal Rising group tried to glue themselves to a fence. This came 30 years after the four-mile race was voided altogether, following a long delay caused by protesters who had to be removed from the course, and then two false starts. But the Grand National of today (which takes in 30 jumps) is not the event it once was. A number of changes have been made to improve safety, including reducing the maximum field size from 40 to 34 runners; moving the first fence 60 yards closer to the start to reduce the chances of horses building up too much speed before jumping it; bringing the start time forward from 5.15pm to 4pm to improve the ground for the horses; the addition of rubber toe boards on every fence; and the reduction in the height of fence 11 by two inches, from 5ft to 4ft 10ins. Last year, there were no fallers for the first time on record and the rate of such incidents has decreased by more than a third in the past two decades. Since 2000, there have been 13 Grand National races with no fatalities. Aintree Racecourse has meanwhile spent more than £2 million on equine welfare measures. 'We review all aspects of the Grand National every year, with the welfare of everyone involved our number one priority, and we also work hard to preserve the unique characteristics and hallmarks which make it the iconic race it is,' says Jon Pullin, the Jockey Club's head of racing and clerk of the course at Aintree. The racing industry is 'the single biggest investor in equine health and welfare in the UK,' he says, with £56 million spent over the last 25 years alone. 'Over the years we've made numerous changes [to the Grand National], including modifying every fence in 2012 from timber frames to more forgiving plastic and investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in an enhanced watering system and a state-of-the-art cooling and washdown area for horses post-race.' The British Horseracing Authority argues the sport 'Celebrates the athletic brilliance of the thoroughbred' and says the Grand National is the 'very pinnacle' of this. 'Racing is committed to reducing all reasonably avoidable risk and has worked tirelessly over decades to this end,' says a spokesman. '[W]e remain in a constant, ongoing cycle of gathering evidence… and making improvements where we can.' All horses running at Aintree this week have been assessed by vets prior to their races to ensure they are fit to take part, he adds, with each animal taking part also approved to race by a panel of experts. 'It is simply not correct to say that racing, or the Grand National, is cruel,' says the spokesman. 'Many thousands of people work hard every day of the week to provide outstanding levels of care to our horses and it is offensive to characterise what they do, more often than not from a place of deep affection and respect for the thoroughbred, as cruelty.' Grand National regulars at Aintree remain fiercely protective of it, and vehemently oppose the idea that it might be time to end the race. 'There's nowhere in the world I would rather be', says Lisa Merrick, 38, from the Wirral, as the sun shines over the racecourse on Saturday. 'It brings people together. This race is over a hundred years old. The horses here are treated like superstars and are so well looked after. Can we not keep hold of some traditions?' Marc Redmond, 64, from Greater Manchester, adds: 'There have been many modifications in recent years to mitigate risk. It would be a tragedy if this event was damaged.' But campaigners say the changes haven't gone far enough (even if some fans grumble they have stripped the race of some of its special character). 'The Grand National is a deadly bloodbath,' says Elisa Allen, vice president of UK programmes and operations at animal rights organisation PETA. 'You can cloak it in fashion and fizz, but decent people see it for what it is: animal abuse. Those who attend would be rioting if it were dogs being whipped, catastrophically injured, and sent to the meat grinder when they stopped winning races. Why should it be any different when done to horses? 'The Grand National isn't 'the ultimate test of horse and rider', it's the ultimate test of human ethics…and we're failing miserably as long as we continue to bet on horses' lives. It's time to put this gruesome race out to pasture.' Another life was lost. Another broken body on the track. When will we stop gambling with their lives? #YouBetTheyDie — PETA UK (@PETAUK) April 5, 2025 Animal Rising said last year it was indefinitely suspending its campaign of direct action against racing. But this doesn't mean it is satisfied that the Grand National is sufficiently changed to ensure no horse is harmed. 'No amount of industry 'welfare improvements' can mask the truth,' says Rose Patterson, co-director of the movement. 'This so-called sport pushes horses past their limits, risking their safety and lives for the entertainment and profit of a few. The Grand National is not a celebration - it's a systemic abuse of animals who have no choice in their exploitation.' As this year's Grand National gets under way, one thing at least is certain: as long as the horses continue to run, so will the arguments against this British spectacle's very existence.
