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