Berkshire fox hunters campaigning for the Tories in Harrow (From Harrow Times)

Berkshire fox hunters campaigning for the Tories in Harrow

12:01pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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FOX hunters from Aylesbury are campaigning for the Tories in Harrow in a bid to get the hunting ban repealed.

Thousands of leaflets have already been distributed in Harrow East by members of the Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks Hunt (VAGSBH), who are backing Conservative candidate Bob Blackman.

And an email from hunt organisers to supporters, seen by the Harrow Times, reveals the campaigning in Harrow is part of a push across the south of England to help candidates supporting fox hunting get elected.

The email says: “We have delivered a huge number of leaflets in our other target marginal seat, Harrow East.

“We will need helpers from next week. The idea is to take a couple of car loads from the kennels. We will need people for leaflet delivery and envelope stuffing.

“The Tories are putting the bill for repeal forward.

“We can help like-minded candidates to get elected so if you want your sport to get back towards where it was, please give up a bit of time and come and have a laugh with friends.”

The email's author, Guy Portwin, and fellow VAGSBH organiser Annie South are due to meet with Mr Blackman today to discuss a “pre-election strategy”.

Ms South told the Harrow Times many of the organisation's members were Conservative supporters already, and said the action was not overtly related to fox hunting.

She said: “We are getting people out to help the Conservatives in marginal seats.

“David Cameron has said if he is elected there will be a free vote to repeal the hunting act.

“It's a bad law, and I think the candidate in Harrow would go for a free vote if Mr Cameron offered one.

“But the people helping out want to get the Conservatives back in – they would be helping even if fox hunting wasn't an issue.”

Mr Blackman welcomed the support of VAGSBH, and said he would support a repeal of the hunting ban to allow properly licensed hunts.

VAGSBH members are also targeting seats in Reading, Newbury, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Henley, and Harrow West – currently held by Labour MP Gareth Thomas.

Tony McNulty, Labour MP for Harrow East, said he welcomed VAGSBH's input in the election, and said it was important the borough's voters knew who was out campaigning.

He said: “During my time as an MP, the biggest mail bag I got was on fox hunting.

“There is clearly significant opposition to fox hunting in the constituency, and I voted for the ban 100 per cent.”