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League Against Cruel Sports

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League Against Cruel Sports
Formation1924; 100 years ago (1924)[1]
FoundersErnest Bell, Henry B. Amos, and George Greenwood
TypeCharity
Registration no.1095234[2]
Legal statusCharity
PurposeAnimal welfare
Location
Region
 United Kingdom
President
Bill Oddie[1]
Acting Chief Executive
Chris Luffingham[3]
Chair
Astrid Clifford[4]
Websiteleague.org.uk
Formerly called
League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports

The League Against Cruel Sports, formerly known as the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports, is a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to stop blood sports such as fox hunting, hare and deer hunting; game bird shooting; and animal fighting. The charity helped bring about the Hunting Act 2004 and Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which banned hunting with hounds in England, Wales and Scotland.

History

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The League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports was founded in 1924 by Ernest Bell, Henry B. Amos[5] and George Greenwood, with the support of Henry S. Salt, Edward Carpenter and George Bernard Shaw.[6] The League was founded due frustration over the RSPCA's lack of "emphasis on the abolition of hunting or on Royalty to stop hunting".[7] In 1929, Captain Edmund T. MacMichael commented that although the League condemns all forms of hunting they were primarily concerned with abolition of stag hunting and demanding the substitution of a drag in place of any living animal.[8] The League's official journal Cruel Sports was published monthly.[9]

Early Presidents included Lady Cory, Alasdair Alpin MacGregor, Stephen Coleridge and Hamilton Fyfe.[10][11][12]

In 1931, Ernest Bell and Stephen Coleridge resigned in protest over Henry Amos's continuous criticism of the RSPCA.[7][13] Lady Cory who was also a member of the RSPCA resigned her presidency in 1932 as the League's journal had criticized other animal welfare societies and individuals.[14] In 1932, a split-off organization, the National Society for the Abolition of Cruel Sports was formed by Ernest Bell and Stephen Coleridge following an internal dispute within the League over their relationship with the RSPCA.[7][15]

In 1937, Hugh Walpole wrote an article in Cruel Sports describing his negative experience of fox hunting, "I have never in all my experience of war seen anything so terrified as that fox. I realised that morning I had seen a perfectly bestial thing... I don't believe the fox or the otter enjoys being hunted; I believe they experience fear, dismay, and pain".[9]

The League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports was renamed the League Against Cruel Sports in 1938.[6] Donald Soper was President of the League from 1967 to 1997.[16]

The League owns several wildlife reserves in and around Exmoor and Quantock Hills to prevent cruel sports from taking place.[17]

Controversies

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James Barrington a former Executive Director of the League Against Cruel Sports who later became a consultant to the Countryside Alliance has alleged that mismanagement by the League on Baronsdown reserve has caused large outbreaks of Bovine tuberculosis in deer.[18] He has criticized the League for its lack of wildlife management.[19] The League has denied the allegation.[18]

In 2018, Jordi Casamitjana alleged he was sacked by the League after disclosing it invested pension funds in firms involved in animal testing and that he was discriminated against because of his ethical vegan belief. The League stated that he was dismissed because of gross misconduct.[20][21] Casamitjana took legal action against the League which ended in an out-of-court settlement in his favour.[22] In 2020, the League commented, "Having revisited the issue we now accept that Mr Casamitjana did nothing wrong with such communications, which were motivated by his belief in ethical veganism. We are grateful to Mr Casamitjana for having raised the issue of pensions to us, which allowed us to change our default pension fund to an ethical one closer to our values."[23]

In July 2024, it was reported that the police were investigating fraud allegations against the League.[24] Andy Knott, the League's former chief executive alleged that their fundraising appeals in the run-up to the 2024 United Kingdom general election were misleading. It was also reported that Knott is taking the League and Labour MP Dan Norris, the former chair to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal. Knott has alleged that the Labour Party was "interfering in the strategy and operations of the charity".[25]

Timeline

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  • 1924 – The League was founded by Henry B. Amos to oppose rabbit coursing[26] – he was successful in achieving a ban. This resulted in the organisation expanding its remit to include other blood sports – such as fox, hare and deer hunting.
  • 1975 – A bill seeking to ban hare coursing, supported by the League, was passed through the House of Commons, but did not receive approval in the House of Lords.
  • 1978 – The League secured legal protection for otters, including a ban on hunting them. The aquatic mammal was up until that point hunted with packs of hounds, one of the reasons for their numbers declining.
  • 1992 – The League helped secure the Protection of Badgers Act, which expanded the protection of the mammals themselves to their setts. The homes of badgers are illegally targeted for several reasons, including being blocked by fox hunts to stop animals being pursued by hounds fleeing underground.
  • 2002 – Fox, hare and deer hunting and hare coursing was banned in Scotland under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which was introduced by MSPs following campaigning by the League and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2004 – Fox, hare and deer hunting and hare coursing was banned in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004. The legislation was introduced by MPs following campaigning by the League and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2005 – The Hunting Act 2004 came into force – making fox, hare and deer hunting and coursing illegal across England and Wales.
  • 2005 – The Waterloo Cup hare coursing competition held its final meeting at Great Altcar in Lancashire, closing after 169 years following passage of the Hunting Act.
  • 2006 – A huntsman with the Exmoor Foxhounds was found guilty of illegally hunting foxes with dogs in a private prosecution brought by LACS, but the case was overturned on appeal.[27][28]
  • 2007 – Two members of the Quantock Staghounds were successfully prosecuted by the League following chasing a deer across Exmoor.[29]
  • 2008 – Two members of the Minehead Harriers pleaded guilty to chasing a fox with a pack of hounds in a private prosecution by LACS.[30]
  • 2009 – The League announced a new campaign against dog fighting, amidst news reports that there is an increase in dog fighting in London.
  • 2014 - The League celebrates 90 years of campaigning against cruelty to animals in the name of sport. Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that there have been 341 convictions under the Hunting Act 2004.
  • 2015 – Prime Minister David Cameron offered a free-vote on repealing the Hunting Act, backing down shortly afterwards following pressure form the League, MPs and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2015 – Cross-channel ferry companies stop shipping pheasants and partridges from French factory-farms to British shooting estates, following an investigation and lobbying by the League.
  • 2018 – Conservative Party drops its manifesto commitment to offer a free-vote on repealing the Hunting Act following pressure from the League, meaning no Westminster party any longer supports repealing the hunting ban.
  • 2018 – Scottish Government announces intention to strengthen the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which bans hunting with hounds in Scotland, following pressure from the League and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2018 – Welsh Government bans pheasant and partridge shooting on public land following campaigning and pressure from the League and Animal Aid.
  • 2018 – The Labour Party backs calls made by the League to strengthen the Hunting Act – including prison sentences for those who chase and kill wild mammals.
  • 2019 – University of Wales suspends pheasant shooting on its countryside campus at Gregynog Hall following campaigning by the League.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Who we are and the history of the League". League Against Cruel Sports.
  2. ^ "The League Against Cruel Sports - Charity 1095234". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  3. ^ "Meet the Senior Management Team". League Against Cruel Sports.
  4. ^ "Our Trustees". League Against Cruel Sports.
  5. ^ May, Allyson N. (2016). The Fox-Hunting Controversy, 1781–2004: Class and Cruelty. Routledge. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4094-4220-2
  6. ^ a b "The League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports". Henry S. Salt Society. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Karmer, Molly Baer. (2022). Pressure From Within: Internecine Conflict in the English Animal Protection Movement, 1950-1975. In Bruce L. Kinzer, Molly Baer Kramer, Richard Trainor. Reform and Its Complexities in Modern Britain: Essays Inspired by Sir Brian Harrison. Oxford University Press. pp. 179-202. ISBN 978-0192863423
  8. ^ "The League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports". The Northern Whig and Belfast Post. 18 March 1929. p. 11. (subscription required)
  9. ^ a b "Hugh Walpole and the Fox". Edinburgh Evening News. 9 April 1937. p. 16. (subscription required)
  10. ^ "Notes on the resignation of A. A. MacGregor from the presidency of the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports". d.lib.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  11. ^ Who's Who 1935. The Macmillan Company. p. 575
  12. ^ Kean, Hilda. (1998). Animal Rights: Political and Social Change in Britain since 1800. Reaktion Books. p. 186. ISBN 1-86189-014-1
  13. ^ Allen, Daniel; Watkins, Charles; Matless, David (April 2016). "'An incredibly vile sport': Campaigns against Otter Hunting in Britain, 1900–39". Rural History. 27 (1): 79–101. doi:10.1017/S0956793315000175. ISSN 0956-7933.
  14. ^ "Lady Cory and Cruel Sports League: Why She Resigned the Presidency". 4 November 1932. p. 9. (subscription required)
  15. ^ Tichelar, Michael. (2016). The History of Opposition to Blood Sports in Twentieth Century England: Hunting at Bay. Taylor & Francis. p. 51. ISBN 978-1315399775
  16. ^ "Hunting and the Clergy". Animal Cruelty Investigation Group and the Animal Welfare Information Service. 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Our Wildlife Reserves". League Against Cruel Sports. 2024. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b Barrington, James (2020). "The Blindness of Zealots". Country Squire Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024.
  19. ^ Barrington, James (2023). "Jim Barrington: Why are those opposed to hunting allowed to dodge awkward interrogations?". Countryside Alliance. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024.
  20. ^ Coleman, Clive (2020). "Sacked vegan claims discrimination in landmark case". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Sacked vegan brings landmark discrimination case". BBC News. 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Jordi Casamitjana vegan tribunal a 'victory for animal protection'". BBC News. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  23. ^ Whitehead, Harriet (2020). "Ethical vegan settles tribunal case with the League Against Cruel Sports". Civil Society. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023.
  24. ^ Dixon, Hayley (2024). "Police investigating fraud allegations against League Against Cruel Sports". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024.
  25. ^ Wait, Sam (2024). "Former CEO begins legal action against animal charity". Civil Society. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024.
  26. ^ "League Against Cruel Sports". AIM25.
  27. ^ "Rethink ahead as huntsman is fined for breaking ban". The Guardian. 4 August 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  28. ^ "Huntsman conviction appeal upheld". BBC News. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  29. ^ "Hunting duo appeal is turned down". BBC News. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
  30. ^ "Minehead Harriers duo admit Hunting Act breach". Horse & Hound. 18 January 2008.
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