British parliament forces through fox hunting ban

Fox hunting has been banned in Britain, despite a last-minute attempt by the government to delay its demise until after the next…

Fox hunting has been banned in Britain, despite a last-minute attempt by the government to delay its demise until after the next election.

The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, worried that banning the pastime now would hurt his campaign for a third term in power in an election expected next year, tried to put off the day on which hunters with hounds would no longer be able to chase and kill the fox.

But, in extraordinary scenes in parliament, he was defied by both lower house politicians, many of them members of his Labour Party, and the House of Lords, the upper chamber.

The ancient pursuit has long inflamed passions across the country, opponents denouncing it as a barbaric sport while supporters argue it is an essential element of country life, providing employment for thousands.

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The elected House of Commons has consistently voted for a complete ban while the unelected Lords have demanded that some hunting be allowed to continue in England and Wales.

Scotland has already ended fox hunting.

In the House of Commons, there were chaotic scenes when, at the last minute, the government suggested delaying the imposition of a ban for three years, hoping this would persuade the House of Lords to drop its opposition.

"I have tried for the best part of two years to find a compromise and a way forward since there are people who feel passionately on either side of this debate," Blair said.

The Commons, allowed to vote free of party control, rejected that but supported postponing a ban until mid-2006.

In a frantic session of parliamentary "ping pong" on the last day of the current session of parliament, the Lords then insisted defiantly that some hunting be allowed to continue indefinitely.

"The proposal ... is designed to help the government over the pre-election period," Labour peer Baroness Mallalieu said.

The stalemate forced Speaker Michael Martin, the Commons' convenor, to wield the rarely used Parliament Act, a legislative device to ensure the will of the elected chamber prevails.

Unless the government introduces further legislation, the bill will become law in its original form, which called for a ban in three months, not the 18 months or even three years Blair hoped for -- putting it squarely on the election agenda.