A pro-foxhunting group in the UK is advocating for hunters to be recognised as a minority group and receive legal protections similar to those of ethnic minorities. Ed Swales, the chair of Hunting Kind, has stated that hunters qualify for protection under the UK Equality Act 2010, based on advice from a human rights lawyer. Swales has been working on a legal challenge for three years, which has been reviewed by a human rights expert.
According to Swales, the group aims to demonstrate that supporters of hunting have faced discrimination, such as losing job opportunities or experiencing abuse on social media. If successful, this legal action would grant hunters the same protections as minority groups like the Roma community or LGBTQ+ individuals. Swales has accused animal rights extremists of targeting hunters under the guise of animal welfare.
Former Labour minister Mike Foster has criticised the group’s stance, questioning their reasoning. Despite this, Swales believes that Keir Starmer, with his legal background, would understand the legal basis of their challenge. Hunting Kind views hunting as a form of wildlife management and natural selection, claiming that they are providing a service by removing animals that are old, sick, or unable to survive in the wild.
Swales emphasises that hunting is not cruel and that he and his fellow hunters care about animal welfare. The group is dedicated to dispelling what they refer to as the “Bambi effect” perpetuated by animal rights activists who they believe are disconnected from the realities of rural life and wildlife management.
In light of recent events, such as the arrest of the wife of a Tory councillor on racial hatred charges, the debate around recognising hunters as a minority group raises important questions about equality and protection under the law in the UK. The issue of whether hunting should be considered a cultural practice deserving legal safeguards is a contentious one that requires careful consideration and debate among lawmakers and the public.
