Nature & Wildlife | Posted on July 30th, 2025 | return to news

Dorset MPs call for faster action on new hunting ban

Vikki Slade and Neil Duncan-Jordan have backed a campaign calling for watertight regulation that ends hunting with hounds.

The MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Vikki Slade, is the latest member of Parliament to join The New Hunting Ban, a campaign bringing together parliamentarians, experts, and stakeholders to draft new hunting legislation and to put pressure on the Labour government to fulfil its manifesto commitment to ban trail hunting.

Slade is the sixth MP – and first Liberal Democrat – to back The New Hunting Ban ahead of the government’s announced consultation on trail hunting later this year. She joins Neil Duncan-Jordan, the independent MP for Poole, in supporting the campaign.

Since her election in 2024, Slade has been an outspoken advocate for animal welfare, voicing her opposition to pet smuggling, badger culling, animal testing, and hunting with hounds.

More than two decades after the Hunting Act 2004 was meant to bring an end to hunting with hounds, the practice continues in many parts of the country. The issue is particularly pressing in Dorset, where four men linked to the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt and two from the Portman Hunt have been convicted of hunting offences within the past year. Both hunts were recently asked not to sit out this year’s Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Show.

According to Slade, hunts abuse dogs, antagonise local communities, and disrupt rural life.

Speaking in support of The New Hunting Ban, she said: “As an animal lover and advocate for animal rights, I fully support The New Hunting Ban. We have Todd, our dog at home, along with two tortoises. These wonderful animals deserve love and care, but this care should not stop with the animals we consider part of the family. Protecting our wildlife is something my constituents and I feel strongly about.

“I have been vocal about putting an end to puppy, kitten and ferret smuggling, stopping inhumane badger culling, and phasing out animal testing. My support of The New Hunting Ban continues my actions in this space by stopping the illegal killing of wildlife by ending hunting with hounds.

“Together, we can foster a future where biodiversity is preserved, and our natural heritage is respected for generations to come.”

Rhys Giles, director of The New Hunting Ban, added: “We’re thrilled to have Vikki’s support. She’s an undeniable friend to animals and the countryside.

“There is no issue more unanimously supported across England and Wales than finally ending hunting with hounds — yet the government continues to stall. The longer we wait, the more wildlife suffer.

“The New Hunting Ban is about bringing the voices of those who protect wildlife into Parliament, so we can finally fix the law together.”