Linking the way of life of farmers like this, to foxhunting, has galvanised opinion in many rural areas. The Countryside Alliance, which organised the massive rally in London, warns that there is a lot at stake. The prime issue is that hunting is not a welfare problem for animals, it's just as humane way of controlling those quarry species as any other way. Secondly it has a massive impact on the social and cultural life of the countryside. It's a major player in the way that we manage pests, species, it's a major way in which agriculture and farming management goes on.
Jobs are an issue.
But others say there is another side to hunting with dogs. They believe it's got little to do with countryside tradition, and everything to do with animal welfare. The anti-hunt campaigners claim hunting is not an issue of rural lifestyle, it's about the thousands of foxes torn apart every year by packs of hounds. They say the foxes suffer terrible anxiety and pain. Many Labour backbenchers agree.