London - Anti-hunting MPs last night rounded on the British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, after he signalled that the government would not rescue a bill to ban fox-hunting.
The Labour private member's bill to outlaw hunting with hounds faces collapse next week after opponents staged a series of delaying tactics in the Commons. Despite five hours of bitter debate, only one of 13 groups of detailed amendments to the bill had been completed by the close of business.
Mr Mike Foster's Wild Mammals (Hunting With Dogs) Bill is due to return to the Commons next Friday, but is then widely expected to run out of time.
Supporters of the bill focused their anger on the home secretary for dashing hopes that the government could resolve the issue by introducing its own legislation. Mr Straw said the government had no mandate to ban hunting.
A senior Labour MP, Mr Kevin McNamara, said the home secretary had sent a "ripple of horror and disgust through the Parliamentary Labour Party".