Labour MPs to rebel on hunting

Fox-hunting will be banned under a Labour backbench amendment which challenges the Government's preference to license the blood sport.

This week, a majority of the Labour MPs on the committee considering the Hunting Bill – 12 in total – intend to put down a formal amendment to the legislation. Its effect would be a total ban on fox-hunting.

While paying lip service to proposed licensing tribunals, the amendment, added to changes already made to the Bill to outlaw deer-hunting and hare-coursing, would render them irrelevant. The move is likely to win the support of a majority in the Commons.

A second option is an amendment to limit the use of dogs to flush out a fox only, outlawing the chase, and requiring the hunter to kill the fox quickly and humanely.

The decision by Labour MPs, mostly loyal to Mr Blair, is certain either to open up hostilities between the Labour back benches and Mr Blair, or to force him, in the event of the inevitable veto of the ban by the House of Lords, to use the Parliament Act to enact the will of the Commons.

Despite public opinion and repeated promises, including in Labour's election manifestos, to ban hunting, Mr Blair has been reluctant to do so.

But one Labour MP predicted: "He's not going to want to risk being at loggerheads with even more of the party at a time when people don't support his policies on Iraq, the health service and higher education." However, the Bill may take time to progress through Parliament, and the leverage needed to encourage the Mr Blair to use the Parliament Act may be lost.

With that in mind, Rural Affairs minister Alun Michael is charged with the task of getting Labour MPs to agree to licensing. He has held meetings with Labour MPs on the committee as well as with animal welfare charities.

But committee MPs feel compelled towardsbanning hunting altogether. Theyknow that if they do not try, a colleague probably will.

Compromise will not suit the animal rights lobby either. Douglas Bachelor, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Hunting is a moral issue. There can be no compromise on cruelty and we expect MPs to amend the Bill into a total ban."