Political leaders from Reform UK and the Conservative Party have been accused of endorsing animal cruelty after being photographed at traditional Boxing Day trail hunts, where foxes are still reportedly being killed by dogs.
Politicians Pictured at Controversial Events
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake were both seen at separate hunt meetings on Friday 26 December 2025. Their attendance comes despite ongoing evidence that foxes continue to be "torn to shreds by dogs" at such events, according to critics.
Trail hunting involves following an artificially laid scent and was introduced as a legal alternative after the Labour government banned traditional fox hunting with dogs in 2004. However, animal welfare campaigners have long argued that the practice is frequently used as a cover for the illegal hunting of live wild animals.
Labour's Pledge and Political Backlash
In response, Labour MP Luke Charters launched a fierce attack on both parties. He stated that Reform and the Conservatives have "stopped listening to working people" and are now "too busy defending hunts and chasing cruelty to notice."
Labour has committed to banning trail hunting as a central part of its forthcoming Animal Welfare Strategy. This long-awaited policy package aims to improve protections for pets, farm animals, and wildlife. Charters contrasted this with the government's focus, stating Labour is working to cut living costs and reduce NHS waiting lists while bringing animal welfare laws "into the 2020s."
Hunt Supporters Vow to Fight Ban
The proposed ban is set to face significant opposition. Thousands of supporters gathered for the traditional Boxing Day meets, with hunt organisations pledging to resist any new legislation.
Emma Slawinski, CEO of the League Against Cruel Sports, argued that the hunting community has only itself to blame. "The hunts have had two decades and hundreds of thousands of opportunities to show the country that trail hunting complies with the law," she said. "They have systematically failed."
She asserted that rural communities, police, courts, and politicians are all aware that trail hunting acts as a "smokescreen for old fashioned illegal hunting." Consequently, she stated, the government's planned ban is "no-one’s fault but the hunts’ themselves."
The controversy sets the stage for a major political and cultural clash in 2026, pitting longstanding rural traditions against evolving animal welfare standards and Labour's legislative agenda.
