Today, I will introduce the long-awaited Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill for its Second Reading in the House of Commons. This Bill will end our role in cruel trophy hunting, by finally banning the import of hunting trophies into Britain.
Every day, majestic wild animals face staring down the barrel of a trophy hunter’s gun or standing in the line of fire of their cruel crossbows.
Why? Because wealthy tourists get a kick out of killing beautiful animals, so they can decorate their wall with a so-called trophy.
By passing this Bill, Parliament will send a strong message of deterrence to these barbaric hunters – your spoils cannot be brought back into Britain.
I hope this will go some way to ending British complicity in this abhorrent practice.
When my Conservative colleague, Henry Smith MP, tried to end the import of hunting trophies last year, his Bill rightly received Government backing and was overwhelmingly voted through the House of Commons with support from MPs across the political spectrum.
Polling shows that the public wants us to deliver this ban. So, it was hugely disappointing that a small group of pro-hunting Peers then deployed a range of amendments to talk the Bill out.
Running down the clock on legislation in this way is little more than a blunt instrument and does nothing to restore voters’ trust in politicians.
With over 80% of the compassionate British public supporting a ban, it is now up to us as their elected Parliamentarians to ensure we get the job done.
I’m grateful to the many MPs who will join the debate today and work hard to ensure the Bill becomes law, and as quickly as possible.
The Government has repeatedly signalled its intention to ban trophy hunting imports, including in their own election manifesto and in numerous Queen’s Speeches, so I am confident that they will move mountains to ensure this Bill succeeds. Banning the import of hunting trophies is the will of both Parliament and the people.
I’ve campaigned on animal welfare issues for many years – but surely even those that haven’t can see that this is a barbaric practice – killing an incredible wild animal for what, for fun? Animals deserve so much better, and I hope this is something on which we can all agree.
That’s why I’ve taken the step of tabling my Private Members Bill, and we now need to get this over the line and signed into law.
The electorate expects this of us, and in the run up to a general election, with such overwhelming support for a ban, MPs and the Government must deliver on their promises.
To miss this opportunity would be to fail to protect the many wild animals killed by British hunters every year.
I hope we have reason to celebrate today and can look forward to this Bill becoming law as quickly as possible. It’s time to end the UK’s complicity in trophy hunting and get the ban done.
