The reality of the National Trust’s foxhunting vote

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It’s not convincing in global terms is it? Especially as despite massive propaganda efforts by the Trust only 299 more people voted for trail hunting than voted to ban it.

The NT’s Executive must now consider the implications. Might they see the very closeness of the result as a vote of no confidence in their policy? Or might they reflect that with 84% of society opposing all hunting it’s likely that 4.2 million of their 5 million members oppose trail hunting – and if just 2% of them resigned in protest it would mean a revenue loss of £625,000 a year.

Yesterday we suggested the Trust’s support for the Stonehenge short tunnel has severely damaged its reputation. Could it be that continuing to support trail hunting will damage its reputation and its pocket? Watch this space in November. Will the National Trust act in a principled fashion or will it continue to damage itself by acting as a fig leaf for the Government and the Countryside Alliance?