Jeremy Hunt would move to see the ban on fox hunting reversed if he becomes prime minister – as his Conservative leadership rival Boris Johnson pledged to put 20,000 more police officers on the streets over three years.
Mr Hunt said a promise of a parliamentary vote on whether to lift the ban on fox hunting in England and Wales would be in the next Tory manifesto if he wins the race for Number 10.
Describing fox hunting as “part of the countryside” and “part of our heritage”, Mr Hunt told the Daily Telegraph: “I’m happy for people to do it.”
The cabinet minister added that he doesn’t hunt himself and that “it’s not particularly my thing” but revealed he would support repealing the ban, if there was a vote.
“As soon as there was a majority in parliament that would be likely to repeal the fox hunting ban then I would support a vote in parliament,” he said.