Portrait of Theresa May
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Theresa May on Fox Hunting

Shifted from support to retention (strong) Position evolved

TL;DR

Theresa May personally favored fox hunting but ultimately dropped the pledge to hold a parliamentary vote to repeal the ban.

Key Points

  • Personally stated in 2017 that she had always been in favour of fox hunting.

  • Her party's 2017 manifesto included a commitment to allow a free vote on overturning the ban.

  • Confirmed in January 2018 that the free vote on the Hunting Act repeal would not take place during that parliament.

Summary

Theresa May expressed a personal view that she was in favour of fox hunting, stating this during the 2017 General Election campaign. Her commitment was linked to allowing Members of Parliament a free vote on whether to overturn the ban, which had been outlawed in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004. Proponents of the repeal saw the election promise as a chance to reverse the legislation, which they had been mobilizing for. The commitment to a free vote was explicitly included in the Conservative Party manifesto for that election, despite significant public opposition to reversing the ban.

However, following the election where the Conservative Party lost its majority, Theresa May confirmed in early 2018 that she was abandoning the plan for a vote during that parliamentary session. She explained this U-turn as a necessity to listen to the broader message from voters, who had expressed concerns on several policy areas beyond fox hunting. While confirming her personal view had not changed and that she had never fox hunted, her decision prioritised responding to the overall election verdict over pursuing the commitment to repeal the ban.

Frequently Asked Questions

Theresa May has maintained that her personal view remains in favour of fox hunting. However, as Prime Minister, she ultimately decided not to proceed with the promised free vote to repeal the existing ban during her term of office.

Yes, her position evolved from explicitly pledging a free vote in the Conservative manifesto to subsequently dropping that commitment. She explained the U-turn was based on listening to voters' wider concerns following the 2017 election.

She stated that after the 2017 General Election, her job was to consider the overall message from the country. Theresa May concluded that a vote on fox hunting was an issue where she needed to heed public concern and therefore would not take place in that parliamentary session.