New poll reveals 56% still see Tories as a “nasty party” on hunting

From @LabourList

More than double the number of people think the Conservatives are more like a ‘nasty party’ than a ‘compassionate Conservative’ party, according to a poll published today.

The poll shows that only 23% of the public think the Conservatives are the ‘compassionate’ party whilst more than double that number (56%) think the Tories are the ‘nasty party’ on the issue of hunting. In answer to a separate question, 70% believe the Conservatives are wrong to commit parliamentary time to the hunting issue.

The YouGov poll, for the League Against Cruel Sports, suggests that Cameron’s attempts to rebrand his party as ‘compassionate’ have failed when it comes to the hunting issue. However, the poll’s impact was somewhat diminished by deploying the loaded question: Do you think the Conservative pledge to hold a vote on whether to make the hunting with dogs of deer, hares and foxes legal again is more in keeping with a ‘nasty party’ or a ‘Compassionate Conservative’ party?

But it does show that the public has not desire to dedicate legislative time to one of the Tories’ most unpopular policies.

John Cooper, a barrister and the League’s chairman, says the poll result shows that the public don’t want to see a return to hunting. “Turning the clock back to cruelty is not an option for Cameron,” he said. “We all know that he and members of his shadow cabinet have all enjoyed hunting wild animals for fun but, as the expenses scandal has shown, the public have had enough of self-interested MPs.”

The League’s annual hunting report, also published today, shows that 63% of hunts monitored in the last season were ‘engaged in suspicious activity consistent with traditional hunting practices’. The League monitored thirty-eight separate hunts over a total of 90 days’ monitoring.

In 2005, David Cameron said “yes, I would” make hunting with dogs legal again. In 2003 he said in the House “I ride. I have been hunting. I shoot.“