Keir Starmer’s government has been told it has “alienated rural people” as traditional Boxing Day hunts gathered across the UK ahead of plans to ban trail hunting.
The warning came from the Countryside Alliance pressure group, which released a poll suggesting 65% of voters think the Labour administration unfairly neglects country communities.
A new animal welfare strategy to be published by the government on Monday includes provisions for a ban on trail hunting, where hounds follow a scent rather than pursue a live animal. It also comes amid lingering resentment among farming communities over changes to inheritance tax breaks, even after a partial U-turn by the government.
The Countryside Alliance defended trail hunting, introduced to comply with the Hunting Act 2004’s ban on pursuing foxes, saying hunts contributed more than £100m a year to the rural economy. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn up at Boxing Day trail hunts
A consultation is to be launched by the government in early 2026 on how to ban trail hunting.
Tim Bonner, the Countryside Alliance’s chief executive, said: “When Keir Starmer said that he ‘wanted a new relationship with the countryside’ we all assumed he meant a better one, but in 18 months his government has alienated rural people and created the clear impression that it does not care about the countryside. Its warped priorities have put taxing family farms, raising rates for rural businesses and banning trail hunting above policies that would benefit rural people.
“While the partial changes to the family farm tax are a step in the right direction, the government must desperately learn the fundamental lesson of this policy debacle, which is that it needs to work with the rural community – not legislate against it. The government has a very long way to go to rebuild trust.”
A poll by ORB International suggested only 36% of Britons agreed or strongly agreed that the Labour government cares about people who live in the countryside, while 76% said they believed the government prioritised urban issues over rural ones. ORB surveyed 2,083 British adults online between 12 and 14 December.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) defended its policies, pointing to its response to a review of the agricultural sector carried out by former National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters.
A Defra spokesperson said: “This government is committed to banning trail hunting, which is too often used as a cover for illegal foxhunting, and has strong public support across the country. This builds on previous animal welfare reforms delivered by this government, including giving police greater powers to prevent dog attacks on livestock, protecting farmers and animals alike.
“The Batters review highlighted the need for greater collaboration between industry, farmers and government – and that is exactly what we will do. We have increased the individual inheritance tax threshold from £1m to £2.5m, meaning couples with estates of up to £5m will pay no inheritance tax.”
