THERESA May will abandon her Conservative general election manifesto pledge to give MPs a vote on whether to overturn the fox hunting ban.

The law, introduced by Labour in 2004, bans the use of dogs to hunt foxes and other wild mammals in England and Wales.

Mrs May told BBC's Andrew Marr Show she had received a "clear message" on the issue and said there will not be a vote during this parliament.

Michael Gove has prioritised animal welfare issues since Mrs May appointed him Environment Secretary after the June election.

But Jeremy Corbyn repeatedly criticised Mrs May for saying she was in favour of fox hunting during the election, which shattered the PM's authority after the Tories lost their Commons majority.

The Tories had pledged in their manifesto to hold a free vote on a Bill in Government time to allow Parliament to decide the future of the Hunting Act 2004.

Somerset County Gazette:

Mrs May spoke on the prospective fox hunting vote when she visited Somerset's Bath and West Show with a little over a week left before the 2017 General Election.

She said: “We are committed to delivering a vote which will be a free vote for MPs and we are committed to delivering it at some stage in this parliament.

"I have grown up with fox hunting, I was brought up in the countryside and I have always supported fox hunting.”


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However, Mrs May has now told the BBC: "As prime minister, my job isn't just about what I think about something, it's actually about looking at what the view of the country is.

"I think there was a clear message about that and that's why I say there won't be a vote on fox hunting during this parliament."

Chris Pitt, of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Hunting is a barbaric practice which still sees British wildlife being torn to pieces by packs of hounds.

"It appears that the Government now accepts that cruel sports should no longer be a part of 21st century society so it's good to know they won't try to legalise it again in this Parliament, though they may try again in the next."