Press Releases

Endangered Exmoor to meet with Lembit Opik MP
10th April 2002
Endangered Exmoor will meet with Liberal Democrat MP, Lembit Opik, joint-chairman of the all-party Parliamentary 'Middle Way' group on hunting. Jeremy Browne, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Taunton will also attend the meeting, to be held at the White Horse Hotel in Exford on Saturday, 13th April 2002.

"Hunting is the life blood of Exford and the hill communities of Exmoor. Those who would criminalise our sport and our way of life tell us to find other jobs, take up other pursuits, forget our heritage. Those people weren't here during the Foot-and-Mouth Crisis when hunting was suspended for 12 months. Some Exmoor businesses collapsed overnight. Now, with the resumption of hunting, some are thriving again but others are still struggling with loss."

"We look forward to talking with Lembit Opik, an MP who looks beyond the sound bite and is trying to see a sensible way forward.

Liberal Democrat MP, Jackie Ballard, Ousted
Mrs Pat Bawden, on behalf of Endangered Exmoor, congratulates Adrian Flook the new MP for Taunton, and Nick Harvey the returned MP for North Devon.

"Adrian Flook’s (conservative) victory means that the people of Exmoor will once again have an MP to properly represent them. Everyone who has been affected by our devastated rural economy and our curtailed way of life will be greatly encouraged by Adrian’s election. Lib-Dem Nick Harvey’s re-election is also welcome news.

Exmoor’s whole economy has been hit hard by the suspension of hunting due to the Foot-and-Mouth crisis. Field sports are vital to Exmoor’s economy, generating £13 million per year. We look forward to our local MPs properly reflecting the important rural issues of Exmoor."

Endangered Exmoor carries out survey in Taunton and Wellington
A snap survey of Taunton and Wellington residents conducted by the rural campaign group Endangered Exmoor (non-political and funded by personal and voluntary donation) revealed no public support for any Government time to be spent debating hunting matters.

The group formed in June 1999 to represent rural communities, livelihoods and businesses on Exmoor, spent three days asking what were the main issues for Government concerning day-to-day lives. People were invited to consider and prioritise twelve issues including crime, cost of living, fuel, health, etc. and field sports. Only 1.04% of the people surveyed thought field sports was an important issue for Government, a massive 92% said it was not!

More specifically, 84% responded that field sports was not an issue for Parliament. Endangered Exmoor secretary, Pat Bawden, said, "Although we live and work in rural Somerset I do not believe that the issues affecting our day-to-day lives are fundamentally different from our friends in the town, and in a most convincing way our survey confirms that". "It begs the question, 'Why is our MP Ms Ballard supporting the Labour Government putting hunting at the top of their priorities?', you do not need to be a rocket scientist to just look around and see so much that needs to be done urgently." Pat continued, "Our survey shows that the people of Taunton and Wellington feel that there are many more important issues for Parliament than field sports and we agree whole heartedly". "We are urging the MP to drop her pre-occupation with hunting and deal with the real issues".

Peaceful Picketing of Tourists into Exmoor huge success, 30th August 2000
The West Country pressure group met at Bridgetown on Exmoor last evening to review the reaction to their leafleting of holiday makers at the five gateways to Exmoor on Friday evening, when 3500 vehicles were handed literature that explained how the entire economy of this unique area is threatened. The leaflet explained the loss of farm subsidies, a possible ban on hunting and general decline in the tourist industry. After the meeting secretary Pat Bawden said: ” It was an enormous success, far beyond our expectations, and we found that visitors were, with few exceptions, very receptive to us distributing our literature. In fact, the response was one of reciprocation to the warm welcome that they were being given”.

Kevin Lamacraft, livery yard owner said “Endangered Exmoor was formed to protect the communities, livelihoods and traditions of this beautiful but fragile gem in the British countryside, from a Government that clearly does not understand rural Britain and gives every indication of not even caring, they claim to represent the people, and yet the visitors that we met on Friday, who must represent a reasonable cross section of public opinion and attitude overwhelmingly supported us."He further added: “Are we prepared to let centuries of hard work and loving care be sacrificed for the opinions of an ignorant urban Government and a pressure group, funded by foreigners, who have never been near Exmoor, nor got their hands dirty on the land? No, we are not!”

Endangered Exmoor will now be taking the findings of this survey to the politicians, Pat Bawden said “ One year ago we met for the first time on the village green at Exford, we sent a delegation to No 10 pleading for understanding, after 12 months our situation has worsened, so we took our case directly to the people, and they understood”.

21st August, 2000
"HELP!!!! YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A THREATENED AREA,
Welcome to unique EXMOOR, where landscape, wildlife, communities and valued traditions come together in this world renowned and favoured part of rural Britain, but can it last?"
This is the message that ENDANGERED EXMOOR will be leafleting to visitors on Friday, 25th August 2000, from 4pm to 8pm.
Endangered Exmoor was formed in the wake of the 1999 West Somerset District Council rural survey which highlighted the severe effects on the area in the event of a hunt ban. At that time thousands of Exmoor supporters and residents rallied on the village green in Exford, and sent a delegation led by Baroness Ann Mallalieu and the 85 year old diminutive poet, writer and artist, Hope Bourne with a message to 10 Downing Street.
Secretary, Pat Bawden, said, "We have no intention of interrupting our visitors' valuable holidays, but we know that their investment in selecting Exmoor demonstrates the high value that they place on coming here now and in the future.
The continuing threat of a hunt ban is just one of many threats to our livelihoods; last year we looked at farm incomes down nearly 70%, hundreds of job losses, concern expressed by the National Park for the future of wildlife management and the harm that unwelcome Government legislation could cause. And this year? The situation has worsened considerably, and it is even clearer that we have a Government that has no empathy or sympathy with rural life. Members of Parliament are largely ignoring the findings of the Government Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs. We have farms closing down, fuel prices escalating, rural services worse rather than better, the list is endless, and sadly the historic cheerfulness and resilience of the Exmoor people is almost exhausted. Now we are inviting our visitors to help understand".

6th September 1999
Home Secretary Sensitive to Plight of Rural Communities
Home Secretary, Jack Straw, promises Endangered Exmoor that the part hunting plays in the life of Exmoor will be taken into account in any Government proposals on the issue.

In a reply to Baroness Mallalieu, QC., following the delivery to 10, Downing Street of a delegation from Endangered Exmoor, with a letter to the Prime Minister and copies of the speeches made at the Exford Rally on 29th June, Mr Straw says, "The Government recognises that farming is the backbone of many rural and market towns, and without it many such communities would not survive".

Mr Straw goes on to say, "As the Prime Minister has said, we are actively considering ways of taking the issue of hunting forward. I have noted the content of the survey commissioned by West Somerset District council on the part hunting plays in the life of people on Exmoor. I will ensure the conclusions are taken into account".

Pat Bawden, Secretary for Endangered Exmoor said, "Jack Straw is respected as someone who is fair-minded towards minorities. Endangered Exmoor will continue to highlight the devastating effects that a ban would have across every rural community in the country. A ban would be the death of the traditional countryside. Who in their right mind would want to destroy this?". "Endangered Exmoor will do all it can in its fight to protect the culture, heritage, and way of life here on Exmoor, and to preserve the finest herds of red deer in Europe".

7th August 1999
Endangered Exmoor Meeting with Jackie Ballard
At the invitation of the recently formed lobby group Endangered Exmoor, Taunton MP Jackie Ballard visited Exford today to meet a small group of people who would either directly or indirectly be adversely affected should hunting with hounds ever be banned. The discussion was wide ranging and there was a frank exchange of views which will have left the MP in no doubt about the strength of feeling among many Exmoor people.

The meeting was chaired by the Rev'd Robin Ray and included Jeanette Branton and Pat Bawden, chair and secretary of Endangered Exmoor; Dick Lloyd an acknowledged authority on the wild red deer; Tony Wright, huntsman of the Exmoor Foxhounds, and John Norrish, stud groom to the Devon & Somerset Staghounds. Also present were Denis Branton, an Exmoor hill farmer, and David Whitehouse, Exford's Sub-Postmaster.

During the course of the debate Jackie Ballard stressed that her concern is for animal welfare as opposed to animal rights, and whilst those present recognised that it is unlikely she will change her views on the subject ogf hunting, they were encouraged to hear that should she be successful in a ballot for a Private Members Bill in Parliament, she would not have a hunting ban as her first priority.

Following the meeting in Exford, Jackie Ballard was taken to Warren Farm, Simonsbath to meet hill farmer Andrew Hawkins and Exmoor Forest hotelier, Bob Sowden.

4th August 1999
Exmoor Starts to Fight Back
This spring the West somerset District council published a report on the "Economic, Social and Environmental Aspects of Hunting with Hounds in West Somerset and Exmoor". The research had been carried out over the year from February 1998 to February 1999 by the Centre for Rural Studies at the Royal Agricultural college, Cirencester. The primary objective of the study was to "assess aspects of the local economy, society and the environment which are affected or influenced, directly or indirectly, by hunting with hounds".

Most importantly, the study considered the possible effects that a ban on hunting would have on a unique rural community, one already under threat with the dramatic decline in farming incomes over the past few years. The report largely substantiated that a hunting ban owuld cause economic hardship for many hundreds of people and businesses. A ban would end the protection of the flourishing wildlife now provided by the network of hunting landowners and farmers. A ban would destroy the social fabric which has held this remote community together for several hundreds of years.

It is widely known that a handful of animal rights activists, invariably outsiders, ewith foreign money and interests, have been conducting a well funded campaign of vilification in both the local and the national media against us. They seek to make us criminals. They wish to destroy what makes Exmoor so special to so many people. So far they have had a free run.

Now Exmoor is to fight back. Those whose jobs and lives are at stake have joined to form Endangered Exmoor. Endangered Exmoor will highlight the devastating consequences of a hunting ban. Jobs and traditional skills would vanish. House prices deflate. Farming would be placed in further jeopardy. Community life would lose its centre. The ancient red eer herds would stand unprotected.

The WSDC report states that 3,000 people, including many visitors from all over the world, hunt every year in the West Somerset area. These people went out an estimated 67,000 in 1998 and spent a staggering and vital £5.5 million in the local economy. These numbers cannot be ignored.

Two thousand attended Endangered Exmoor's inaugural Rally on Exford Village Green on Tuesday, 29th June. Guest speakers included Professor Roger Scruton who spoke on rural communities; Robin Page, conservationist and presented of 'One Man and His Dog'; Local Speakers included Miss Hope Bourne, Exmoor writer and artist; Labour Peer, Baroness Ann Mallalieu; Mike Bradley, proprietor of the Crown Hotel and Veterinary Surgeon, Brian Crawford.

What can you do to help? For further information contact: Endangered Exmoor on +44 (0) 1643 831129.