In the same week that the Scottish Greens branded the so-called Glorious 12th (the opening of the grouse-shooting season) as a ‘Festival of Violence’ (here), a Conservative MSP launched a Parliamentary motion to ‘celebrate the glorious 12th’.
A Parliamentary motion is a simple way that MSPs can make statements to raise issues, recognise individuals, businesses etc and suggest topics for debate. MSPs from all parties can register their support for the motion.
This particular motion was raised by Scottish Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton:
The motion has received the support of 19 MSPs, all of them Conservatives, which is quite telling.
This is the third year in a row that a Conservative MSP has raised a motion asking the Parliament to ‘celebrate’ the grouse shooting industry, and it’s also the third year in a row that only Conservative MSPs have lent it their support (Rachael Hamilton’s motion in 2022 received the support of 21 fellow Conservatives and Jamie Halcrow Johnston’s motion in 2021 received the support of just 4 fellow Conservatives).
It’s hardly a surprise, and nor is it a surprise that Rachael Hamilton has led the call again this year. Her support of grouse moor management has been plain to see during the evidence sessions heard by the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee that’s currently scrutinising the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1 of its passage through Parliament (e.g. see here and here), and she’s a well known supporter (and apparent beneficiary of) blood sports (e.g. see here).
The Rural Affairs Committee will be considering a draft report of its scrutiny of the general principles (not the finer details) of the Bill when Parliament reconvenes in September (unfortunately this will apparently be undertaken in private, not public, meetings). The Committee’s report will then be used as the basis for a Stage 1 debate of the general principles of the Bill by the entire Parliament and this will be held in public. This is expected to happen in early October, before the Bill moves on to Stage 2, which is where it gets interesting as any member of the Scottish Parliament can then lodge proposed amendments to the Bill.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Lovely picture of her in the National with the Eildon Hills in the background, a fine walk (Not a grouse moor). The Buccleuch Arms is noted for its game menu in it’s Bistrot(sic) and was awarded Inn of the year 2023 by the Countryside Alliance.
There’s a surprise!
You wipe my bum and I’ll wipe yours.
Racheal Hamilton shows how little she knows about Scottish wildlife by suggesting that grouse moor management benefits capercaillie, a pinewood specialist. I wonder if any of her Conservative colleges know any more than her and pointed out this glaring error to her.
Not a hope of any of her MP’s helping her as most still think Grouse is a Whisky.
But support nevertheless
“But support nevertheless”
That sounds desperate. Just 19 Scottish Tories out of 31 elected bothered to support a bunch of bare-faced shooting industry lies, in a parliament of 129 members.
I knew before I’d even read your blog that it was her. What a surprise. Her twisted views while on this committee will do her no good, I’m sure
Ochone, ochone, I am most definitely not going to vote Conservative, as they have shown a determination to continue supporting a pseudo-industry, that of a persistent violence and cruelty against sentient creatures, much condemned nowadays, when the reality of its blatant defiance of encouraging the killing of protected birds of prey, and other creatures, has stalled the efforts to protect biodiversity. I have been pleased to witness some dissension in SNP ranks over an embarrassing grandee, who has delighted in and over-acted the part of defender of anything that maintained the status quo of animal and environmental abusive practices.
We once had a Conservative MP, Teddy Taylor of Cathcart, who was a great condemner of blood sports, and who joined with his friend, the Labour Wedgewood Benn, when it came to the vote on legislation to do with Badger baiting, Fox hunting etc. Alan Clark, a Tory Minister under Mrs Thatcher, owned an estate on which hunting was banned, as Alan loved the natural world
and all its creatures. Sir David Amess, who was assassinated, was a great animal rights person and a Tory, who was praised highly by all other humane leaning politicians. In Victorian times there was the great high Lord Shaftesbury, the hero of humane causes for
making working conditions better for those in coal mining, the textile factories, match making AND and early animal welfare legislation. The Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson made a vote against Hare coursing. Can those purblind politicians who are against the progress of making the world a less cruel place to be for other forms of Life, and not see that human progress into a better future, is being hindered by their kind of person condoning inhumane behaviour, and by exerting a callousness in how humanity finds its pleasures along with resourcing its industrial materials, that is turning the planet into a spoiled desert. Our driven shooting estates have their equivalents throughout the world, but resistance exists among courageous politicians like President Lula in Brazil and elsewhere, aided by charities from other countries that are playing a part in the Grand Revolution to contest those who have no right to be in power, or ever again so, and who are obliterating the natural world. Scotland has to change its regime, and perhaps the rest of the UK will follow!
Here in the printed word is one of the reasons why ANY with conservationist views should NEVER EVER vote Tory anywhere in the UK.Blood sport supporters, the countryside is only there for profit merchants the lot of them, also one might suggest they are all well aware of wildlife crime associated with their hobbies but choose to turn a blind eye, Wilfully blind as Ruth would say.
“Here in the printed word is one of the reasons why ANY with conservationist views should NEVER EVER vote Tory anywhere in the UK.”
And yet the cornerstone of UK conservation, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was passed by a Tory Government… Thatcher, no less.
I understand the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was introduced in order for the UK to comply with European Council directive on the conservation of wild birds (Birds directive and Bern convention).
So the Conservative government may have had no choice but to introduce this legislation since at the time the UK was part of the EU?
It is very telling that since the UK left the EU there has been a noticeable weakening of environmental protection legislation.
Certainly this current Conservative government appears to be failing nature in so many ways, so I can fully understand Paul’s comment.
“I understand the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was introduced in order for the UK to comply with European Council directive on the conservation of wild birds (Birds directive and Bern convention).
So the Conservative government may have had no choice but to introduce this legislation since at the time the UK was part of the EU?”
The EU did not come into existence until the Maastricht Treaty in November 1993.
The Birds Directive was adopted in 1979 by the EEC, but that does not cover wildlife nor countryside. The Habitats Directive was not adopted by the EEC until 1992.
After the second world war the Labour Government failed to support a private member’s bill to ban hunting with hounds, but the following Tory Government under Churchill passed the Bird Protection Act of 1954, following pressure from the RSPB to update the 1872 Act.
In 1969 and 1976, a new Labour Government again failed to support private members’ bills to ban hare coursing (hare coursing was finally banned by Labour in 2004).
There was much faffing about updating our National Parks and various pieces of environmental legislation under Callaghan, but Labour were focused on economic issues and his Countryside Bill was lost in the dissolution…
Labour had the chance and the time, but – rather like Blair with hunting later on – left this cornerstone of environmental legislation to the last minute… but then lost it.
Thatcher swept in and, two years of argument later, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was passed.
“It is very telling that since the UK left the EU there has been a noticeable weakening of environmental protection legislation.”
No. Since Sunak came into power proposed improving animal welfare and environmental legislation has been dropped (other improving legislation had already been passed).
“Certainly this current Conservative government appears to be failing nature in so many ways”
What do you think is the single biggest threat to nature in the UK? And which party will tackle it? (I don’t trust any of them, but I think they all in denial as to what is the biggest single threat, and politically want that threat to be increased.)