A conversation I frequently have on the doorsteps of Barnsley East concerns the topic of fox hunting.

It may not take up the front pages like issues such as the social care crisis, or cuts to schools and policing, but it’s something that really affects people and it doesn’t surprise me that so many want to air their views.

We’re a nation of animal lovers. Every other household owns a pet, and animals give so many of us warmth, comfort, and company.

That’s why so many people I speak to are appalled by the Prime Minister’s support for fox hunting; a disgusting activity that just shows how out of touch Theresa May and her Tories are.

Theresa May claims fox hunting is a ‘sport’ she has always supported, crucial to the way of life of a number of people, and a ‘humane’ way of killing foxes.

But there’s nothing humane about chasing foxes to the point of exhaustion before allowing them to be ripped apart by dogs, and it’s certainly not a way of life for anyone I know in Barnsley East.

In fact, it’s not just those in Barnsley East who are dismayed by the Prime Minister’s support; typically around 80 percent of the British public oppose this activity.

On the other hand, I’m proud of Labour’s record on animal welfare, including banning fox hunting with the 2004 Hunting Act, and it’s why 

I’ve proudly signed Labour’s petition to keep the ban on fox hunting.

So whilst Theresa May demonstrates her contempt for the real needs of working people in Barnsley East and works hard to bring back a barbaric activity for her friends and neighbours in the Home Counties, Labour isn’t so out of touch.

We’ll continue our great record on animal welfare, and I’ll listen to the people in Barnsley East and fight to keep the ban on fox hunting.

If you want to stand alongside me against the Tories and protect wild animals, you can sign Labour’s petition to keep the fox hunting ban here:http://www.labour.org.uk/index.php/actions/keep-the-ban-on-fox-hunting