When Tony Blair suddenly declared that he was going to ban fox hunting, it wasn't just the anti-hunt lobby which was caught on the hop.

The prime minister had apparently forgotten to mention this major policy U-turn to Home Secretary Jack Straw, who will have to draw up the Bill and put it through parliament.

The BBC's Carolyn Quinn: "This time there's clear government backing"

And the surprise announcement, on BBC's Question Time, left many MPs puzzled as to why Mr Blair had suddenly adopted this new policy.

Just a year before, he had killed off a move to ban hunting by backbencher Michael Foster by refusing to give it parliamentary time.

Mr Foster's bill won a first Commons reading with a whopping majority of 260, but Mr Blair ensured it got no further.

Jack Straw was caught on the hop by the PM's announcement

He claimed at the time that he had blocked the bill because the House of Lords would have opposed it and used it to wreck the government's entire legislative programme.

And ministers signalled that there was no way the government was about to produce its own legislation on the matter.

Most MPs dismissed all the explanations and believed the decision had far more to do with the massive opposition the proposal had sparked amongst the powerful countryside lobby, which marched on London in protest and which took the government by surprise.

Change of heart

Now, Mr Blair has decided he wants to ban the sport and MPs are wondering what has happened in the last few months to change his mind.

Most believe the answer is simple - he lost a couple of elections and is desperately searching for populist policies to "re-engage" with core Labour voters.

The local council and European election losses proved a severe blow to Mr Blair and he is eager to get back onto the offensive and win back disillusioned Labour voters.

A ban on fox hunting is seen as highly popular and can be justified because it was in the Labour election manifesto.

And the prime minister clearly believes the countryside lobby does not command widespread support, particularly amongst the traditional Labour voters who have recently been deserting the party in dismay at its concentration on the middle classes.

Tony Blair - friend to foxes, but maybe not the horses of the Palio

But there are some signs that the proposal may yet cause Mr Blair more trouble than he originally anticipated.

The countryside lobby is again up in arms at the proposal, claiming thousands of jobs will be put at risk and a way of life will be destroyed.

Supporters insist that the government has misjudged the issue by believing it is targeting a group of privileged "upper toffs" when, in reality, hunting is enjoyed by people from all classes.

Mass demonstrations

They are planning mass demonstrations of the kind which so rattled the government when the original bill was being debated.

Mr Blair may think his principled stand will win him support and that voters will be delighted to see him standing up to the vested interests in the countryside lobby.

The Blairs' attendance at the Palio raised questions over his motives

But the measure will also cause a major row when it eventually comes before MPs. Few doubt that it will be passed with a large majority - but it will spark serious divisions, even within Labour's own ranks where there are a number of pro-hunting MPs.

And Mr Blair's recent behaviour has only added to the impression held by some MPs that he is pushing the policy for political advantage rather than out of a strongly held principle.

His attendance at the infamous Palio race in Tuscany, where horses are injured and killed, has raised a new question mark over his motives.

And recent surveys suggest that the sport is not a major issue with ordinary Labour voters who are far more concerned about the NHS and education.

It may turn out that Mr Blair has sparked a huge controversy but reaped very little political advantage.

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