| |
|
Rock legend Brian May has urged North East Somerset people to vote for Dan Norris in the extremely close contest to win the ultra-marginal constituency.
The Queen guitarist and passionate anti-hunt campaigner travelled specially to Keynsham and Midsomer Norton to throw his weight behind Dan’s campaign, which involves a very tight two-way contest against hunt-supporting Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg.
At a public meeting
in The Royal British Legion Club, Keynsham (Saturday 24 April), May expressed
his
As he rose to address a packed meeting, May explained he had never spoken at such a gathering before: “This is already feeling strange. But it’s as though I’ve taken a gag off myself,” he said.
“I have immense admiration for Dan Norris. Over many years he has put up with insults and abuse; verbal and physical, because he has stood up for what he believes: that there is no justification for chasing and killing animals for fun. I have been inspired by this man. I urge you to support him.
“I am not going to say in general terms ‘vote for one particular party’. But I AM going to say ‘Vote for Dan’.”
May outlined his own major new campaign to try to prevent the return of legalised blood sports to the British Countryside. The ‘SAVE-ME’ campaign - named after a world-wide hit record for Queen - calls on people to consider how their vote will affect the welfare of animals; and in particular fox-hunting, stag hunting and hare-coursing. The campaign is non-aligned politically, but is a direct response to the announcement from David Cameron that if the Tories are elected they will, in the first month of their term, introduce a free vote in the House to repeal the Hunting Act, 2004, which made it illegal to hunt wild animals using dogs.
At the Keynsham meeting
May listed a number of what he calls ‘lame claims’: statements
made by pro-hunt groups trying to justify killing animals for fun. These
are also listed on his campaign May expressed his fears about what the coming weeks might bring if people do not wake up to the motives of the Tory Party: “These ‘new Tories’ are basically just the pro-hunt group the Countryside Alliance. You cannot distinguish between the Conservative Party and the Countryside Alliance. If we are not careful then we will effectively be ruled, very soon, by the Countryside Alliance and I find that very depressing.
“Dan has worked
bravely on animal welfare issues for years, first campaigning for a ban
on hunting, and continuing to stand up for what is right, despite physical
attacks and pro-hunt intimidation. By contrast his Tory opponent is a
hunt supporter, whom it has been reported is benefiting from an influx
of people fro
After the Keynsham meeting May travelled south with Dan to Midsomer Norton to meet campaigners and shoppers in the Shiral coffee shop in the High Street.
The Save-Me campaign is asking members of the public to support the cause of animals by signing up here and aims to recruit a million supporters by polling day. Supporters will be encouraged to ask their local candidates to make a clear commitment, for or against fox-hunting before polling day – and to declare which way they will vote if there is a Commons vote to repeal the Hunting Act.
|
Queen
legend Brian May urges North East Somerset voters to support Labour’s
Dan Norris 
admiration
for Dan’s work over many years promoting animalwelfare, particularly
his strong stance on hunting – something which has seen the Labour
candidate suffer physical attacks from pro-hunters, notably when he and
a female member of his staff were attacked when they arrived in Badminton
to take part in a TV debate the day before the hunting ban came into effect.
m
The Countryside Alliance, outside the constituency, to help with his campaign,”
he added.