Cameron is “running scared because he knew he would lose fox hunting vote”, say Labour

Labour have said that David Cameron is “running scared” because he knew he was going to lose the fox hunting vote.

The free vote to relax the rules on fox hunting was scheduled for tomorrow. However, the Government faced opposition from Labour, a number of Tory rebels and as of last night the SNP. The vote was going to be over whether the rules on fox hunting should be changed in England and Wales. Although campaigners argued that the severity of the amendments meant changes would, in effect, amount to repealing the ban.

The Scottish Nationalist Party last night announced that their Westminster MPs would vote against the Government.

This morning the Government decided to postpone the vote until after legislation on English Votes for English Laws has been passed, meaning that the SNP wouldn’t be able to vote on the issue.

Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, criticised the Government’s proposals:

 The Government’s proposed changes to the Hunting Act have become a shambles. This has nothing to do with ‘pest control’ – it is a shabby attempt to repeal a successful piece of animal welfare legislation by the back-door.”