The Countryside Alliance condemns...

...Dan Norris for being in Badminton.

Their press release
The Countryside Alliance has condemned Labour MP for Wansdyke, Dan Norris, following his visit to the foxhunting village of Badminton to gloat on the eve of the hunt ban coming into force. Badminton residents are appalled by the misleading spin and accusations made by Mr Norris.

Villagers at Badminton, in the heart of Gloucestershire foxhunting country, were furious that the MP had left his constituency in order to provoke a reaction in a community that will be deeply damaged by the Hunting Act. Many people's homes and jobs in rural areas depend on hunting, especially in villages like Badminton.

Countryside Alliance Regional Director Delly Everard commented: "Dan Norris is an experienced MP who understands the passions that hunting evokes, especially in rural areas. I can only speculate on his motivation, which seemed to many Badminton residents to be nothing more than a sick publicity stunt."

Okay, lets look at this. BBC Points West decided to do an interview/debate between Dan Norris, an MP who has been vocal in his support for the hunt ban, and a member of the Beaufort Hunt. Dan Norris accepts and the BBC decide to hold the debate in the Beaufort's home village of Badminton. Before the BBC could actually do the interview, Norris was pelted with eggs and cream and, Norris says, his assistant was punched. The CA deny that she was punched but in the general confusion of the event, I've seen clips on TV, I can't see how anyone can say that no punches were thrown. So he didn't come to Badminton to gloat, he visited to take part in a civilised debate, the venue of which he did not choose.

Even if he had gone there to gloat, are the CA really saying that there should be parts of Britain off-limits to people who hold certain political views? Some lovers of freedom they are.