Update – we are 10,905 ahead

Here is an update on three e-petitions about grouse shooting:

Gavin Gamble’s e-petition in favour of banning driven grouse shooting – c25,200 signatures

Jane Griggs’s e-petition supporting grouse shooting – c14,300 signatures

Ed Hutchings’s e-petition in favour of licensing grouse shooting – c1,900 signatures

The last week has seen the ‘Gamble-ban’ e-petition pass 25,000 signatures, approach the highest total achieved by an e-petition in favour of grouse shooting (25,322 signatures) and pull a mere 15 signatures further ahead than the ‘Griggs-protect’ e-petition. Hardly earth-shattering progress, but progress in the right direction nonetheless.  The ‘Hutchings-license’ e-petition added the fewest number of signatures despite all the support it is getting from the RSPB (which is very low key so far).

Here are the leading constituencies supporting a ban of driven grouse shooting so far – those with more than 100 signatures.  The list hasn’t grown in number but High Peak had a big jump into first place.

1. High Peak, Ruth George MP, 145 signatures
2. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Drew Hendry MP, 126 signatures
3. Sheffield Hallam, Jared O’Mara, 122 signatures
4. Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron MP, 119 signatures
5. Calder Valley, Craig Whittaker, 117 signatures
6. Ross, Skye and Lochaber, Ian Blackford MP, 110 signatures
7. Isle of Wight, Bob Seeley MP, 109 signatures
8. Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith MP, 109 signatures
9. North Norfolk, Norman Lamb MP, 107 signatures
10. Suffolk Coastal, Therese Coffey MP, 107 signatures
11. Stroud, David Drew MP, 105 signatures
12. Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake MP, 104 signatures
13. Sheffield Central, Paul Blomfield MP, 103 signatures

The number of constituencies with more than 50 signatures has increased from 139 last week to 147 (all Conservative):

• Tatton, Esther McVey MP, 52 signatures
• South Leicestershire, Alberto Costa MP, 50 signatures
• Amber Valley, Nigel Mills MP, 52 signatures
• North East Derbyshire, Lee Rowlet Mp, 52 signatures
• Bexhill and Battle, Huw Merriman MP, 50 signatures
• Guildford, Ann Milton MP, 50 signatures
• Wantage, Ed Vaizey MP, 50 signatures
• Lichfield, Michael Fabricant MP, 50 signatures

The strongest constituencies supporting the Griggs petition in favour of grouse shooting remain these same top-10:

1. Chelsea and Fulham, Greg Hands MP, 397 signatures
2. The Cotswolds, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, 289 signatures
3. Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake MP, 255
4. Battersea, Marsha de Cordova, 245 signatures
5. Kensington, Emma Dent Coad MP, 244 signatures
6. Cities of London and Westminster, Mark Field MP, 241 signatures
7. Richmond (Yorks), Rishi Sunak MP, 240 signatures
8. Northwest Hampshire, Kit Malhouse MP, 186 signatures
9. Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith MP, 185 signatures
10. South West Wiltshire, Andrew Murrison MP, 174 signatures

There are still c40 constituencies which haven’t leant a single signature to this e-petition – just another example of how concentrated is the support in a few rich areas of the country at the moment.

The Griggs e-petition has been waiting for three weeks for a government response, but to be fair, that does include th Christmas period.

I’ve had no response from ‘N’ yet – I’ll give him a nudge.

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