Hello and welcome to a special extra episode of The Spectator podcast.

Today we're discussing the divisive issue of fox hunting.

I'm Lara Prendergars and I'm delighted to be joined by Jim Barrington, the consultant to

the Countryside Alliance and a former director of the League Against Cool Sports.

Sonal Badiani Hammond, campaign's officer for Petter,

and the spectators Camilla Swift.

As part of the Tory manifesto, Theresa May has included a pledge to give MPs a free vote on fox hunting.

The Prime Minister has also said she would vote to lift the ban on fox hunting,

despite never having taken part in a hunt,

insisting that it's less cruel than

other ways of controlling foxes. So, Jim, first of all, why do you think she's offered this vote?

I think we have to be clear as to what she has offered, or what the manifesto offers. It is to

look at the future of the Hunting Act. That's slightly different to previous commitments.

And I think it's absolutely right basically

what she's saying is let's review it it's now been in place for 12 years or more

let's look and see what it's done if the anti-hunting movement who brought this in

and with their sympathetic MPs on the basis of emotion rather than evidence

then let them prove that it has actually improved animal welfare.

I don't think it has.

The limited evidence that we have so far shows that animal welfare is actually far worse.

So I'm happy to have this Hunting Act reviewed.

I think it's absolutely the right thing to do.

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