Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been pictured at a traditional Boxing Day hunt, just as the Labour government announces its intention to ban trail hunting – a move critics say is further alienating rural voters.
Hunt Clashes with Government Crackdown
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is facing significant backlash from countryside communities following the announcement of a planned ban on trail hunting. The timing of the announcement, coming just days before the annual Boxing Day events, has been criticised as particularly insensitive.
Farage was seen drinking a pint and smoking while joining hunters at Chiddingstone Castle in Kent today. His appearance comes amid heated national clashes between hunt participants and animal welfare campaigners, who argue the practice is outdated and cruel.
Across the UK, members of rural communities dressed in traditional tweed and riding gear prepared to set out on horseback with hounds for the Boxing Day tradition. Ministers, however, declared the ban on the field sport – where hunters follow hounds pursuing pre-laid scents instead of live animals – as part of a wider Animal Welfare Strategy launched on Monday.
A "Smokescreen" and a Rural Trust Deficit
Environment Minister Baroness Hayman stated the government is acting on evidence that trail hunting is being used as a "smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals", which is illegal. The government has pledged to run a consultation in the new year to determine the best approach for the ban.
This move follows a partial government climbdown on another rural issue. Labour initially planned to force farmers to pay inheritance tax on assets over £1 million but has now raised that threshold to £2.5 million. Despite this concession, the simultaneous hunt ban announcement has undermined efforts to rebuild trust.
The Countryside Alliance pressure group said the government has "alienated rural people". A poll by ORB International suggests 65% of voters believe the Labour administration unfairly neglects country communities. The same poll found only 36% of Britons agreed the government cares about people who live in the countryside.
Economic Impact and Political Fallout
Farage strongly criticised the ban plan on social media, calling Labour "authoritarian control freaks". The Countryside Alliance defended trail hunting, a practice introduced to comply with the 2004 Hunting Act, arguing that hunts contribute more than £100 million a year to the rural economy.
Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner said Starmer's government has "a very long way to go to rebuild trust" with rural areas. He accused ministers of prioritising taxing family farms and banning trail hunting over policies that would benefit country dwellers.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) defended its stance, stating the ban on trail hunting has "strong public support across the country". A Defra spokeswoman also highlighted the increased inheritance tax threshold and new powers for police to prevent dog attacks on livestock.
The government will launch a formal consultation on how to implement the trail hunting ban in early 2026.
