Countryside Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British
organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as country sport
s, including hunting
, shooting
and angling
. In 2008 the group was named the 'most inspiring political personality' of the last ten years by Channel 4 News.
at the junction of the A3
and A23
.
, and is split into ten regions:
The Scottish Countryside Alliance covers the country of Scotland
and the Countryside Alliance Ireland both the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
.
The Alliance has long defended hunting
, especially fox hunting
, opposing the ban on fox hunting and other forms of hunting with hound
s, which came into effect (in England and Wales) in February 2005. Amongst other causes, the Scottish Countryside Alliance campaigns against the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
, which banned hunting north of the border.
The Countryside Alliance mounted a series of legal challenges to the Hunting Act 2004
that banned hunting with hounds (integral to the sport of, for example, fox hunting) in England and Wales from 18 February 2005, which have not met with success.
Following the first conviction under the Hunting Act 2004 on 4 August 2006, the Countryside Alliance reaffirmed its belief that legislation was "illogical and unclear" and vowed to support the appeal of the conviction.
Opponents of the Alliance claim that this is the sole focus of the organisation, a claim it denies, saying that this campaigning is a response to the government's "preoccupation with the issue".
on 22 September 2002, a figure accepted by the Metropolitan Police Service
.
The CA is not affiliated to any particular political party. According to disclosures in the UK Register of data controllers
, the CA carries out research on the backgrounds of those it considers to be its opponents.
's Roger Waters
, The Who
's Roger Daltrey
, Procol Harum
's Keith Reid
, Roxy Music
's Bryan Ferry
, Eric Clapton
and Genesis
' Mike Rutherford
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as country sport
Country sport
A country sport or field sport is one of the traditional rural or blood sports of hunting with various types of hound , shooting , and fishing or angling...
s, including hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, shooting
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
and angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
. In 2008 the group was named the 'most inspiring political personality' of the last ten years by Channel 4 News.
History
It was formed on 10 July 1997 from three organisations: the British Field Sports Society, and two other organisations (the Countryside Business Group and the Countryside Movement) which were formed with help from the British Field Sports Society. It is based near the Oval tube stationOval tube station
Oval tube station in Kennington is a station on the Northern line of the London Underground between Stockwell and Kennington stations. It is the only station on the Morden branch of the Northern line whose name begins with a vowel and is one of only two stations on the London Underground with only...
at the junction of the A3
A3 road
The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length, is a dual carriageway, or expressway, which follows the historic route between London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its length, it is classified as a trunk road...
and A23
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
.
Structure
The organisation covers mainly England and WalesEngland and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, and is split into ten regions:
|
English Midlands The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important... North West England North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East... |
North East England North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland... South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex... |
South West England South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ... Southern England Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct... |
Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... Wessex The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest... |
The Scottish Countryside Alliance covers the country of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the Countryside Alliance Ireland both the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Administration
- The Chair of the Countryside Alliance is Labour MP Kate HoeyKate HoeyCatharine Letitia Hoey is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Vauxhall since 1989. She served in the Blair Government as Minister for Sport from 1999 to 2001.-Background:...
who represents the inner city seat of VauxhallVauxhall (UK Parliament constituency)-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1960s:-Notes and references:...
- the Alliance's head office is located in Kennington in Hoey's Vauxhall constituency.
- Labour Peer Ann Mallalieu, Baroness MallalieuAnn Mallalieu, Baroness MallalieuAnn Mallalieu, Baroness Mallalieu QC is a British lawyer, Labour Party politician and president of the Countryside Alliance....
has been the President since 1998.
- Conservative Peer Benjamin Lloyd Stormont Mancroft, 3rd Baron MancroftBenjamin Mancroft, 3rd Baron MancroftBenjamin Lloyd Stormont Mancroft, 3rd Baron Mancroft is a British peer, businessman, Conservative Party politician and former heroin addict.The son of the 2nd Baron Mancroft and Diana Lloyd, he was educated at Eton College, Berkshire...
is Vice-Chairman.
- Conservative Peer and Former Conservative MP Marcus Kimball, Baron KimballMarcus Kimball, Baron KimballMarcus Richard Kimball is a British Conservative politician.Born in Marylebone, London, Kimball was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. He became a farmer and a Lloyd's underwriter...
is Deputy President.
Hunting with Hounds
The Alliance states 'the countryside is enriched by country pursuits, whose participants should be free from prejudice and discrimination.'The Alliance has long defended hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, especially fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
, opposing the ban on fox hunting and other forms of hunting with hound
Hound
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry...
s, which came into effect (in England and Wales) in February 2005. Amongst other causes, the Scottish Countryside Alliance campaigns against the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
The Protection of Wild Mammals Act was passed by the devolved Scottish parliament in February 2002, making Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to ban traditional fox hunting and hare coursing.-Passage of the Act:...
, which banned hunting north of the border.
The Countryside Alliance mounted a series of legal challenges to the Hunting Act 2004
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
that banned hunting with hounds (integral to the sport of, for example, fox hunting) in England and Wales from 18 February 2005, which have not met with success.
Following the first conviction under the Hunting Act 2004 on 4 August 2006, the Countryside Alliance reaffirmed its belief that legislation was "illogical and unclear" and vowed to support the appeal of the conviction.
Opponents of the Alliance claim that this is the sole focus of the organisation, a claim it denies, saying that this campaigning is a response to the government's "preoccupation with the issue".
Membership & Affiliations
The CA claims 100,000 members (October 2002), and also claims that 400,000 supporters participated in its Liberty & Livelihood March in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 22 September 2002, a figure accepted by the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
.
The CA is not affiliated to any particular political party. According to disclosures in the UK Register of data controllers
Register of data controllers
The Register of data controllers is a United Kingdom database under the control of the UK Information Commissioner's Office mandated by the UK Data Protection Act 1998 which records the name of the data controller and the purpose for the processing of the data processed by that controller within...
, the CA carries out research on the backgrounds of those it considers to be its opponents.
Countryside Rocks
The organisation has held fundraising rock concerts under the banner "Countryside Rocks" which have attracted support from stars including Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
's Keith Reid
Keith Reid
Keith Reid is a songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every Procol Harum song that is not a cover...
, Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
's Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
' Mike Rutherford
Mike Rutherford
Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
.
See also
- Pressure groups in the United KingdomPressure groups in the United KingdomThis is a list of pressure groups in the United Kingdom. These pressure groups, based on their relationship with United Kingdom policy makers, can be divided into insider groups, who have high degree of involvement and influence and outsider groups, who have little or no direct involvement or...
- Support Hunting AssociationSupport Hunting AssociationThe Support Hunting Association was a group which campaigned for Hunting with dogs in England and Wales to be legalised, by having the Hunting Act 2004 overturned....
- Vote-OKVote-OKVote-OK are a group of political activists which were active in the United Kingdom general election of 2005 and have grown into a strong lobby group since then....