Cabinet division over hunting

Tony Blair's move to offer Labour MPs the prospect of a ban on hunting blew up in his face today when the Leader of the Commons, Robin Cook, said he remained against outlawing the pursuit.

Mr Cook's doubts over a ban are long-known. But his public opposition as the plan returned to the spotlight laid bare the Cabinet division, which now threatens the Government with serious trouble.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, along with several more, are known to think an outright ban is too heavy-handed, will interfere with other, more important legislation, and confront the Government with a massive and needless countryside revolt.

With Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott leading ministers in favour of tough action, backed by many Labour backbenchers, the scene is set for months of bruising conflict.

Mr Cook, in a Commons statement, said MPs will hold a free vote on the principle on Monday week, reviving the three options in the Bill that collapsed before the last general election: an outright ban; leaving the present system broadly unchanged, with self-regulation; or allowing the pursuit under a strict licensing system - the "middle way".

His announcement drew a blunt warning from the leader of the Labour hardliners, Tony Banks, who said if anybody felt there was "some sort of soft option called the middle way" they were deceiving themselves. Mr. Cook said that while he respected Mr Banks's sincerely held belief, "I would ask him to respect the views of those of us who genuinely and sincerely support the middle way".

The issue is under the charge of Alun Michael, a middle-rank minister in the environment department. He, said Mr Cook, would announce before Easter the way ahead, expected to be a Bill in the autumn.

The Commons, which last year voted 387 to 164 in favour of an outright ban, is certain to repeat that. But even before Mr Cook spoke, there were suspicions among some Labour MPs whether Mr Blair and divided Cabinet would have the stomach for a prolonged battle with the Lords and with the Countryside Alliance which staged a mass march through London last time round.

Senior sources today pointed to trouble facing the Scottish Parliament, which approved a ban only to see it criticised as unworkable and facing a probable court challenge.

Labour peer Baroness Mallalieu, leader of the Lords pro-hunting majority, signalled today the Upper House, unlike last time, would be ready to accept the middle way.

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