Badgardener on Nostr: I'm anti-hunting: as a vet, how could it have been otherwise? I support any and all ...

I'm anti-hunting: as a vet, how could it have been otherwise? I support any and all bans on activities where wild animals are harmed for sport. But I've treated many horses and hounds used in the pursuit - and quite a few foxes, too - and most of the clients are not rich stockbrokers, but normal people on modest incomes.

Large numbers of people working in the rural economy *are* hunt followers, whether because they think fox hunting per se is a good way to control pests (not many), see it as a cultural thing (quite a lot), feel aggrieved that it was taken away from them (a lot) or just social (all). So when Nigel turns up in his immaculate waxed jacket and stupid hat, they think he's a bit of a city berk, but they also see that he's *there*.

Nigel is a grifter, but he learned from the best. He turns up and people notice that. Not people in Clacton, obviously, but they're locked into his ideology anyway.

Reform will have gained votes from this, from working class voters.