Scotland Yard looking into claims Labour banned fox hunting in return for £1m donation

Scotland Yard are looking into claims that Labour banned fox hunting in return for a £1million donation to the party.

The new allegations reveal that the 2004 ban was suggested in return for a large donation from the animal rights group, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Lord Mandelson and another senior Labour figure are alleged to have been behind the move.

The disgraced former US ambassadors' accounts have been central to a formal complaint made by pro-hunting campaigners requesting that the Metropolitan Police investigate the party for alleged misconduct in public office.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

A spokesman from the force said: “On Monday, April 20 we received a report in relation to a donation made to a political party prior to the 1997 general election.

"Officers are currently assessing this report."

Police sources added that it would be "inaccurate at this stage" to suggest that the Met had started an investigation or that any individual was under investigation, the Telegraph reports.

It added: "It will initially go through the first line of assessment to make sure everything is recorded properly. At this point it will then be passed to the relevant unit for investigation.”

Ed Swales, the founder of Hunting Kind, who has been involved in the submission, told the publication: "My whole mantra is to stand up for what has happened to us and restore natural hunting within wildlife management and sustainable land use.

"I want to fight this one for what we believe in rather than the 20 years of being reactive and just getting salami sliced bit by bit.”

A former Labour fundraiser, Brian Basham, previously claimed he had "known for many years" that Labour’s Hunting Act 2004 had been "bought and paid for by a political donation” from IFAW in 1996.

A Labour spokesman said: "All donations to the Labour Party are declared transparently, in line with the rules, and have no bearing on party policy."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Andy Burnham rejects calls for a General Election as he becomes Britain’s new Prime Minister
• Andy Burnham urged to scrap inheritance tax raids on family businesses facing 'existential threat'
• Andy Burnham urged to make instant changes as PM to help millions of drivers

They added: "The circumstances surrounding this donation have been publicly discussed for many years and are already a matter of public record."

Now, a consultation is currently underway, with the aim of officially outlawing trail hunting across England and Wales as part of Labour's 2024 election manifesto.

Countryside campaigners are warning that a ban on trail hunting would have a devastating impact on the rural economy, with 1,000 jobs directly at risk and many more impacted.

The practice of trail hunting was introduced after the 2004 fox hunting ban as an alternative to hounds chasing foxes.

It mimics a traditional hunt, with hounds following an animal scent laid and hunters trailing the pack on horseback.

The Countryside Alliance claims the ban risks the loss of thousands of jobs in rural economies, with hunting contributing £100m a year to the economy.

There are 12,000 hounds across England and Wales, each of which employ huntsmen and kennel workers, who face being put out of work by the Government’s looming ban.

Lord Mandelson is currently being investigated by the Met for misconduct in public office over the alleged leaking of sensitive government information.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter