Failure to ban snares splits SNP

Monday, 15 February 2010 15:45

The refusal of Scottish Nationalist ministers to abide by party policy and ban the snaring of wild animals has sparked growing discontent within the ranks of the SNP.

One party official has resigned in disgust, others are known to be unhappy and several SNP MSPs have signalled their opposition. Snaring, they say, is cruel and inhumane, sometimes forcing innocent animals to slowly strangle themselves.

Following pressure from members, the SNP’s national council agreed a motion in December 2008 calling on ministers to review their decision not to ban snares. But this has been ignored by the government, which instead has just published new rules tightening up on the use of snares, but not outlawing them.

Roy Jeffs was so appalled at the government’s failure to act, that he has resigned as secretary of the Forfar branch of the SNP, and as a member of the party. He accused the environment minister, Roseanna Cunningham, of repeatedly ignoring democratically agreed party policy.

Jeffs argued that 79 per cent of the Scottish public, 85 per cent of vets and all Scotland’s 32 local authorities were opposed to snaring. “I cannot support a government that is so out of touch with the views on animal welfare of its own party members and of the great majority of people in Scotland,” he told the Sunday Herald.

To read the full story by Rob Edawrd, Environment Editor for the Sunday Herald, please click here.