Hunting Office document reveals Lord Astor is meddling with 2021 PCC elections.

Firstly thanks to the Animal Rights organisation which gave us this document, who as requested will remain anonymous. The minutes from the Hunting Office in April 2020 can be read here.

Point 3 on the agenda outlines why Vote Ok the pro hunt lobby group once chaired by Lord Astor, is to be funded £18k by Astor, the Countryside Alliance and the Masters of Foxhounds Association.

How many PCC candidates will benefit from this boost from Vote Ok is not entirely clear, but one certainly stands out: Jonathon Seed standing in Wiltshire. He was previously master of the Avon Vale and the Royal Artillery hunts and was only recently in court for digging a badger sett whilst out fox hunting. Local groups: Bath Hunt Sabs & Wiltshire Hunt Sabs are covering his past on their twitter and facebook pages.

Perhaps some welcome news, some hunts are now facing problems with police forces using “Community Protection Orders”, how many forces are using them? why aren’t all forces using them? would both make interesting “freedom of information” requests.

In “Any Other Business” towards the end of the document the insidious nature of the Countryside Alliance is revealed once more, as they try to inveigle their way into the National Trust so as to be able to hunt foxes unhindered.