Hunt lobby 'forced MP out'

Taunton stag hunters deny harassing their former MP

A former Liberal Democrat MP says she was hounded out of parliament by stag-hunters, who waged a "deliberate campaign of intimidation" against her.

Jackie Ballard now studies in Iran after losing her seat in Taunton, Somerset, at the last election.

She describes the area as like a "feudal society" where people are afraid to oppose hunting.

Her comments come as MPs prepare for Monday's vote on banning hunting with dogs in England and Wales.

Ms Ballard blames stag hunters for her defeat

Ms Ballard said stag hunters in Taunton, the base for two hunts, were "nasty, objectionable people".

She told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today: "I was often frightened to go in to parts of my constituency because of the naked hatred I saw in people's eyes.

"It's incredible that that state of affairs should exist in Great Britain."

She claimed Exmoor was still a feudal society where local people were too afraid to speak out against hunting for fear of threats and intimidation.

Licensed hunts

But the chairman of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds Hunt Club, Tom Yandell, denied the accusations.

He said Ms Ballard had lost her seat purely because she had not listened to her constituents.

Meanwhile, there is fresh speculation that Prime Minister Tony Blair is supporting a deal which would ban hare coursing, but allow fox hunting to continue under the control of a new regulatory body.

A hunt would have to prove its activities were necessary to suppress vermin and not cruel, in order to receive a three-year licence, the Times reports.

Fox hunting may be licensed

But the story was described as "speculation" by Downing Street and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

MPs vote on Monday on three options for the future of hunting - an outright ban, retaining the status quo or the so-called "middle way" option of continuing hunting under some sort of regulatory system.

The same options are put to the Lords on Tuesday, followed by a government decision.

Shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin has blamed the bill to ban hunting for a Parliamentary delay in three key bills.

The shelved measures include changes to the criminal justice system; a speeding-up of the extradition process; and completion of reform of the House of Lords.

But the Leader of the Commons, Robin Cook, said the reason was anti-terror legislation.