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The Debate
I was doubly excited as I climbed the
stairway to the visitors’ gallery of the House of Commons. I
had always wanted to visit the Palace of Westminster, but today
had provided an additional bonus. It was the occasion of the fox
hunting debate. I had not formed a personal opinion on this issue
and so hoped that the cut and thrust of debate in the Chamber
would lead me to conclude a view.
As I took my seat, the Honourable Member
for Snodmorden West was beginning a speech in favour of a fox
hunting ban. He explained that it was high time that the
arrogant, over privileged upper classes got one in the eye. They
all thought they were above the common people in respect of all
matters including that of being subject to the law, and a hunting
ban would jolly-well teach them otherwise. The Honourable Member
for Grunlington supported this view by pointing out that ‘green
wellied toffs’ had not been so willing to campaign when good
working class leisure activities such as cock-fighting and badger-bating
had been ruthlessly banned. It appeared that, just the previous
week, the Honourable Member for Clodborough had had two pit-bulls
and a perfectly good dancing bear impounded by the ‘so
called’ authorities without a murmur being heard from ‘the
other place’.
The case against a fox hunting ban was led
by the Honourable Member for Horeington who, whilst agreeing with
the need for ‘chinless wonders’ to get a ‘good
kick up the backside’, suggested that the previous
Honourable Members were adopting a dangerously limited
perspective. He reminded the chamber that nobody took the ‘la-de-da’
types seriously, even if one was the adulterous heir to the
throne. However, although the opponents of fox hunting were just
a bunch of vegetarian do-gooders with a pathological obsession
about political correctness, further increase in their power
would represent an increasing risk to the ordinary man. The
Honourable member for Standingroom Bottom took up this point,
saying that it was now virtually impossible for anyone to do
anything without infringing some aspect of barmy political
correctness unless they happened to be a black, disabled,
homosexual asylum seeker. He warned, however, that, before long,
even this group would find they had infringed some petty piece of
irrelevant guidance sponsored by the anti fox hunting lobby and
their green, whale saving cronies.
Later as I left the chamber, I reflected
that visiting the cradle of our democracy had wonderfully
fulfilled one of my hopes for the day. On the subject of
foxhunting, however, hearing debate from each perspective had
left me with no clearer opinion than when I had arrived. I think
these complexities were reflected in the final legislation which
made compromises to both sides. The proposal to add five percent
additional VAT specifically to the purchase of green wellies on
one hand and, on the other, the decision to relax all legislation
and guidance in respect of the labelling of tofu.
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