Brandon Lewis has publicly stated that he has made a decision, presumably on behalf of the people of Great Yarmouth, and without duly consulting them, that he will vote to repeal the ban on fox hunting and the hunting of other wild animals when a vote is taken during this current Parliament. He says, "In my judgement the Act does nothing to protect wild animals and, in many cases, is actually detrimental to animal welfare when other methods of control are deployed, a number of which can be indiscriminate".
His personal view flies in the face of organisations like the RSPCA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the RSPB, the League Against Cruel Sports and even members of his own political party - Conservatives Against Fox Hunting (www.conservativesagainstfoxhunting.com).
As important Brandon Lewis was democratically elected to represent all the people of Great Yarmouth and his vote should reflect their preference on this important topic. By taking his current stance he is acting in a totally undemocratic way.
Dear Mr Lewis,
I have read a letter from your office and signed by you relating to the free vote on the repeal or not of the Hunting Act 2004.
I note your comment, "In my judgement the Act does nothing to protect wild animals and, in many cases, is actually detrimental to animal welfare when other methods of control are deployed, a number of which are indiscriminate."
I respect your very personal view on this but your intention does not reflect the views of all the people of Great Yarmouth who elected you as their MP. It also flies in the face of democracy because you are not affording the electorate the chance to make their views clear to you.
You should also note that your particular views are "out of kilter" with such reknown and prestigious animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, the RSPB, the League Against Cruel Sport, Animal Rights UK, Protect Our Wild Animals and above all many of your own colleagues at Conservatives Against Fox Hunting.
We therefore insist that you give the electorate of Great Yarmouth a local referendum on this issue and that you represent their views rather than your own when the vote is taken.
