IF NOT CONSERVATISM, VULPINISM!:

Thousands march for countryside (BBC, 22 September, 2002)

Tens of thousands of people from across the country have begun marching through central London to highlight the needs of rural communities.

The main focus of the protest is opposition to a ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales, but a wide range of other grievances from rural communities are also being linked with the demonstration.

Pressure group Friends of the Earth believes that focusing on fox hunting misses the point and there is a need to look at fundamental issues, such as protecting Britain's farming industry. [...]

Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith will be marching, as will celebrities including ex-footballer Vinnie Jones, actor Edward Fox and Weakest Link presenter Anne Robinson.

Robert Sturdy, MEP for the Eastern region and the European Parliament's Conservative spokesman on rural affairs, will be among the politicians on the march.

He said: "It isn't about hunting and field sports, but about all rural affairs and I have very strong feelings about the rural community as a whole."

This is a bit too inchoate to draw big conclusions from, but any sign of life on the British Right is welcome. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 22, 2002 6:58 AM