The Labour government has taken an important step for animal welfare by launching its consultation on banning trail hunting in England and Wales.
This is welcome news for everyone who wants to see stronger protection for wild animals. Labour pledged in its 2024 manifesto to ban trail hunting, and the government has now begun the process of delivering on that promise.
Baroness Sue Hayman, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Defra and Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals, has played an important role in taking this work forward. Announcing the consultation, she said: “We pledged to ban trail hunting in our manifesto and that is exactly what we intend to do.” Her statement is a welcome sign that the government is taking this commitment seriously.
Trail hunting is the practice of laying an animal-based scent for hounds to follow. Supporters of a ban have long argued that it has too often been used as a cover for illegal hunting, with hounds chasing live wild animals in the process. Defra’s consultation acknowledges that trail hunting carries an inherent risk of hounds picking up the scent of a live wild mammal and pursuing it. It also accepts that trail hunting can be used as a smokescreen for illegal hunting.
That is why this consultation matters so much. It shows Labour acting on a manifesto commitment and taking forward reform in an area where the law has too often failed to give wild animals the protection they need.
The proposals would prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales, while leaving drag hunting and clean boot hunting lawful. The consultation also asks important questions about how trail hunting should be defined in law, whether those who knowingly cause or permit it should commit an offence, and whether any further legislative changes are needed to make a ban effective and enforceable.
Those questions are crucial. If the law is to work in practice, it must be clear, robust and capable of preventing those who want to continue harming wild animals from finding new ways around it. This consultation is not just about confirming the principle of a ban. It is also about making sure the legislation is strong enough to deliver real protection.
For Labour Animal Welfare Society, this is a moment to welcome. Sue Hayman and the Labour government deserve recognition for taking this forward and for recognising that wild animals need stronger safeguards. It is good to see animal welfare treated as a serious priority in government, and good too to see Labour following through on what it promised.
At the same time, the consultation now needs a strong response from everyone who wants to see meaningful change. Public engagement will help show the strength of support for a law that is properly enforceable and fit for purpose.
The consultation is open until 11.59pm on 18 June 2026. You can respond here: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/defra/trail-hunting-consultation/
