Questions on animal welfare

Back in 2005, during a Commons debate on the Animal Welfare Bill, the Wrekin MP called on Government to introduce a national animal welfare day.

What puzzled me then however was how Mr Pritchard was going to square his sincere commitment to the safety and welfare of animals with his passionate support for hunting with dogs.

Indeed, it is true to say that without the financial and physical support of the hunting lobby it is unlikely that Mr Pritchard would ever have become an MP.

During the 2005 General Election campaign Mr Pritchard severely criticised the Government for wasting parliamentary time on a bill that would give MPs a free vote on a hunting ban.

This week his party announced that they would introduce a Bill to repeal the ban. Surely this is just hypocrisy?

The Tories tell us how bad things are with the NHS and schools but still find time to introduce a Bill to appease core supporters.

But what will Mr Pritchard do? Can he really expect to be taken seriously to call for a national animal welfare day and then ask for dogs to be allowed to hunt and kill defenceless animals in the name of sport?

M Ion, Leegomery