Theresa May drops plans for fox-hunting vote
The PM has not changed her personal view but says she listened to ‘messages’ during the election

Theresa May has dropped a campaign promise to hold a vote on the fox-hunting ban, a manifesto pledge some believe contributed to the Conservatives losing their parliamentary majority at the election.
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, the Prime Minister said she had not changed her personal view on the issue but had listened to “messages” she got during the election.
“My own view has not changed but as Prime Minister, my job isn’t just about what I think about something, it’s actually about looking at what the view of the country is,” she said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The announcement was welcomed by anti-hunting campaigners, while Labour, which made the issue one of its central lines of attack against the Tories in the run-up to June’s vote, said the move was “long overdue”. The party called on ministers to take tough action against those who continue to conduct illegal fox hunts.
It follows a concerted effort by the party and Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, to counter social media campaigns denouncing the Conservative record on animal rights. However, “the U-turn will anger some party members and supporters in its rural heartlands”, says The Guardian.
The ban on fox-hunting has proved hugely contentious ever since it was introduced by Tony Blair in 2004. It prompted demonstrations at the time led by the Countryside Alliance and since then both David Cameron and Theresa May have pledged to hold a vote on repealing it.
However, with a Survation poll taken ahead of the election revealing that 67% of voters believe fox-hunting should remain illegal and the Prime Minister’s change of heart, it appears the bloodsport will remain banned for the foreseeable future.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
New Year's Honours: why the controversy?
Today's Big Question London Mayor Sadiq Khan and England men's football manager Gareth Southgate have both received a knighthood despite debatable records
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
Is there a Christmas curse on Downing Street?
Today's Big Question Keir Starmer could follow a long line of prime ministers forced to swap festive cheer for the dreaded Christmas crisis
By The Week UK
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK