Can I have my vote back please?

Oh dear! It seems my local MP Dominic Raab and his chums are the driving force behind the Conservatives Against Fox Hunting group (whose website's main argument against repealing the Act seems to be that it would bring back hare coursing). Local Conservative Association chairman Chris Platt and his wife Lorraine apparently founded the group. Worse still, at the party conference Dominic shared a platform with Douglas Batchelor of the League Against Cruel Sports. To think I voted for Raab because he said he supported shooting!

In fact, I dug out the email conversation from January. I wrote to Raab saying:

"...I wonder if you could take a moment to clarify your position on shooting and other "field sports". As a lifelong shooter, and someone who earns a living editing a shooting magazine, I would hate to vote for an anti!"

And he replied:

 

"Thanks for your email. I support shooting sports conducted according to the relevant codes of practice. The Party has given various disciplines of the sport backing in recent years, including setting out plans to amend the law to ensure that all competitive target pistol shooters can train and compete in this country.

 

I hope that gives you the reassurance you are looking for!

 

Best wishes,

 

Dominic"

 

...which doesn't sound to me like "I'm a huge fan of the League Against Cruel Sports and plan to support their campaign to retain the Hunting Act." But then I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to politics.

Firearms law

With my coterminous firearms and shotgun certificates coming up for renewal shortly, I've been rushing round getting 8 identical passport photos, finding 2 upstanding members of the community to vouch for me, filling in all the forms with scrupulous accuracy, etc.

I've been fighting off the temptation to think 'the law is an ass' and 'no wonder criminals don't bother with all this form filling and just get their guns on the black market'. And then this comes along. A regular member of the public, an ex-soldier no less, finds a discarded gun in the street, does the decent thing and hands it in at the police station. And his thanks? He gets a criminal record, and is now facing 5 years in jail.

There is no flexibility written into our firearms legislation. Holding a gun without a certificate? You're guilty, end of. No defence of 'in the public interest', reasonable excuse or what-have-you. Of course we have to be tough on armed crime, but this sort of thing just makes the law look stupid.

I think I'll just double-check those forms before I send them off, all the same...

Another lapse of judgement by David Taylor MP

David Taylor, MP for North West Leicestershire, had to admit that some of his expenses claims showed a "lack of judgement", and cashed in an ISA to pay back £8,003.

In another staggering lapse of judgement, he is sponsoring this Early Day Motion, spoon-fed to him by the antis, ranting about game shooting and supposed "suffering", pest control, cartridge cases and "disruption to native wildlife".

His website promises his constituents: "Whether you voted for me or not, I’m here to represent you and the best interests of our local area to the best of my ability." Has he forgotten to consult the hundreds of shooters, keepers and others working in related industries in his constituency before supporting this inane bit of anti propaganda? Has he even bothered to look into the positive benefits of shooting (check out the links in the right-hand column of this blog).

If you're a constituent of his, you may like to remind him of his responsibilities - contact details here.

If you're not a constituent of his, write to your MP pointing out how stupid they would look if they were to sign it.