Brian May recently voiced his concerns on Instagram about the Boxing Day Hunts in the UK. His comments came in the wake of ongoing debates about animal rights and hunting traditions.
The Hunting Act of 2004 in the UK banned traditional fox hunting, but hunting groups have adapted by using scented trails instead. This change has kept the hunting tradition alive, but it continues to face criticism from those concerned about animal welfare, including the Queen guitarist:
“In plain terms, unless the loopholes in the Hunting Act are closed up and the law properly enforced, a small percentage of the population will continue to get away with abusing animals for fun. And I can tell you there is no chance of actually stopping this nonsense while there is a Tory government in power.”
He Blames The Tories For The Animal Abuse
May also expressed his views on the role of certain media outlets and the Conservative Party in this context. He suggested that some publications might not be presenting a balanced view of the situation:
“In the next few months, the Daily Mail will be relentlessly pumping out propaganda to try to keep their mates, the Tories, in control of Britain. It’s vital to remember that such headlines and stories in the Mail, the Telegraph, and the Times bear no relation to truth.”
Discussing the current political environment in the UK, he went on:
“The last 15 years of Conservative rule have crippled our country, but the owners of these absurdly biased publications will stop at nothing to keep this awful bunch of self-seeking career politicians in power. Don’t let them succeed. Don’t fall for it.”
The guitarist urged citizens to think of these issues and the parties’ conflict on the animal rights matter during the next elections, writing:
“This 16-year reign of ineptitude, lies, greed, and blatant corruption must be brought to an end. When polling day comes, remember the foxes and the badgers, remember the lies and arrogance of the Nasty Tory Party, and throw them out!
May Is A Devoted Animal Rights Activist
May has been a follower of the ongoing debate about badger cull and fox hunting for years. He worked with the RSPCA against the hunting traditions and became one of the Vice Presidents of the charity organization.
The Queen member also founded the Save Me Trust with Anne Brummer in 2010, campaigning against the possible cancellation of the Hunting Act. In a 2015 Prospect article, he wrote about putting ‘animal welfare above politics’ and added:
“If I ruled the world, we would restart completely. We would rewrite a famous declaration. It would go like this: ‘We hold it self-evident that every creature on Earth is worthy of respect: is born with the right to freedom from persecution, the right to raise its offspring in peace, and lead a decent life under the sun. It follows that every creature has the right to a full life span and a decent death with as little pain and indignity as can be managed.'”
You can see his post about the ongoing animal rights debates here.
