David Cameron’s plan to repeal the hunting ban shows that beneath the gloss the Tories haven’t changed. Five years ago, Labour banned fox hunting, stag hunting and hare coursing because there is no place for animal cruelty in a modern, civilised society. Making animals tear each other apart is cruelty, not sport.

The ban has worked and has allowed people to continue riding with hunts without the cruelty previously involved. In the countryside and the cities a huge majority of people back the ban and none of the pro-hunt lobby’s dire predictions have come true.

David Cameron’s personal opposition to the hunting ban, and his appointment of a former pro-hunting lobbyist as his ‘animal welfare’ spokesperson, reveal how out of touch the Tories are in attempting to repeal such a popular, humane and effective law. If you support the ban then please go to www.backtheban.com and sign my letter to David Cameron.

Says Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Environment Secretary. You can co-sign his letter here.