But if the moves to ban hunting with dogs before the next election fail, they want a firm manifesto promise to use a government bill to implement the ban soon afterwards. But this raises the spectre of big protests by countryside campaigners, right in the middle of a general election campaign. Labour does now have dozens of MPs in rural seats, but many feel countryside traditions like foxhunting should not be immune from change. Labour leaders are worried about the slump in party morale and support. Yet here at last year's Eddesbury by-election Labour MPs say there was clear evidence that firm backing for a ban could energise party workers and enthuse those voters turning away from Labour.
Insiders say signing up to an anti hunting policy paid off.
There was strong support against fox hunting, not just from Labour core vote in the constituency, but also from the those traditional conservative voters, who for, either for moral reasons opposed fox hunting or because they saw it as being part of the arrogant upper class set as they saw it and we were able to use that issue to gel opinion across the social spectrum and to in fact achieve a vote that was a swing towards the Labour candidate. For Tony Blair there'll be no running away from a tough political choice on hunting. But some fear that if the Prime Minister fails to match up to these words, he could appear weak. The worst enemy is vacillation. People have got know where you're coming from.