Tory trespass crackdown ‘criminalises Gypsies and protects illegal fox-hunting’

[Tony Gosling]

Tories accused of 'criminalising Gypsies and protecting illegal 
fox-hunting' under crackdown on trespass

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-boris-johnson-trespass-law-gypsies-travellers-fox-hunting-manifesto-a9227511.html


'To target a tiny part of the population in this way is just plain 
wrong and appears racist,' charity says

    * <https://www.independent.co.uk/author/jane-dalton>Jane Dalton 
<https://twitter.com/JournoJane>@JournoJane
    * 13 hours ago
    * 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-boris-johnson-trespass-law-gypsies-travellers-fox-hunting-manifesto-a9227511.html#comments>53 
comments
The Conservatives are being accused of preparing to criminalise 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/gypsies>Gypsies and 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/travellers>travellers under 
"racist" plans to make trespass illegal.

Changes to the law on trespass, which is currently a civil offence, 
were signalled in the party's general election manifesto, which 
pledged: "We will tackle unauthorised traveller camps."

The document outlines plans to give police new powers to arrest and 
seize "the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up 
unauthorised encampments, in order to protect our communities".

It could be the biggest crackdown on Gypsies and travellers by any government.

Opponents of illegal 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/fox-hunting-0>fox-hunting claim 
the measure would also be a backdoor way for the Tories to protect 
the practice, by criminalising hunt monitors and saboteurs, leaving 
them open to prosecution.

The Conservative manifesto was the first one since 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/Hunting>hunting with dogs was 
banned in 2005 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fox-hunting-conservative-manifesto-legal-carrie-symonds-a9216126.html>not 
to include the promise of a 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fox-hunting-tory-leadership-jeremy-ban-change-law-a8988631.html>free 
vote on repealing the ban.

Fox hunting opponents say the party has not had enough MPs in the 
Commons that support it to overturn the ban so targeting activists is 
a "sneaky" way of allowing meets to continue uninterrupted.

<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gypsy-traveller-families-people-sweeping-ban-land-social-cleansing-england-a8637741.html>Gypsies 
and travellers 'hounded out' as councils impose sweeping bans
A spokeswoman for the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups 
said: "To target a tiny part of the population in this way (that 
happen to be a minority) is just plain wrong and totally unnecessary. 
It appears to be racist.

"Increased police powers (which the police neither need nor want) 
would, in effect criminalise the gypsy and traveller way of life."

The government last year launched a consultation on unauthorised 
encampments, including clamping down on trespass.

Police chiefs and police and crime commissioners said the lack of 
sufficient accommodation for Gypsies and travellers was the main 
cause of unauthorised encampments.

The federation spokeswoman said criminalising trespass would be 
likely to breach the 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/human-rights-act>Human Rights 
Act and the Equality Act, traumatise children and consume resources 
on rehousing and supporting families taken off the road.

However, one lawyer told The Independent he could not see any 
prospect of an argument under either Act having any chance of success.

Separately, animal protection supporters have also slated the 
trespass crackdown, accusing the Conservatives of appeasing hunt supporters.

Penny Little, a monitor of the Grafton Hunt in Northamptonshire and 
founder of a wildlife rescue centre in Oxfordshire, said: "They [the 
Conservatives] are sneaking in a move that could leave illegal 
hunting completely unscrutinised, and allow it to continue without 
even the present, very slight, risk of prosecution.

"There are many monitor and sabs [saboteurs] Facebook pages that show 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/fox-hunting-uk-britain-mobs-driving-communities-apart-a7948516.html>the 
reality of what is happening every day in our countryside. The 
violence, obstruction and intimidation meted out by hunts and their 
supporters can clearly be seen, as well as multiple examples of 
foxes, deer and hares being illegally hunted.

"Hunt sabs trespass when necessary to save hunted animals from the 
hounds. What sort of political party would make it their business to 
protect criminal animal abusers from the cameras, leaving the 
illegally hunted animals to suffer the worst the hunts can inflict upon them?

"If anyone believes the Tory party has admitted defeat on helping 
hunters, they are wrong."

Guy Shrubsole, of Friends of the Earth, also highlighted a previous 
Conservative promise to protect the 
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/right-to-roam>right to roam over 
land, which was passed in law in 2000. But landowners said the new 
move could lead to more poachers being arrested.

The Conservative party has been contacted for its response and asked 
how criminalising trespass would sit with the right to roam.

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and 
blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 
<http://biblehub.com/luke/24-31.htm>31 And their eyes were opened, 
and they knew him; and he vanished out of their 
sight.  http://biblehub.com/kjv/luke/24.htm

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