NEW COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Early day motion 1285, tabled 5 May 1998 by Jeremy Corbyn (Labour). Signed by 37 members.

That this House notes that the new Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, far from defending British jobs, sold his business supplying components to the mining industry after being informed over lunch with Ian MacGregor that the then Prime Minister was prepared 'to go to the death with the miners;' (Horse and Hound, 30th April 1998), opened a factory on a greenfield site in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, for a subsidiary of Beaufort plc when he was its Chief Executive, invested in a greenfield factory in America, and admits to being a 'zealot' who is 'completely over the top' about hunting (Horse and Hound, 30th April 1998); has no confidence in claims by the Countryside Alliance that they are concerned with problems being faced by rural Britain such as unemployment and defending greenfield sites; and believes that its sole purpose is the defence of hunting.

Signatures by party: Labour 35, Labour/Co-operative 2.