MORI, the high-profile research company, has been found to have broken industry rules with a poll on hunting which had been commissioned in February by anti-hunting groups. The survey claimed that 73% of the public continued to support a ban on hunting.

However, an investigation by the British Polling Council has found that details of the poll were only released on the MORI website 12 days after the publication of its press release—10 days later than the rules stipulate. Only then was it revealed that the poll had grouped questions about hunting with those on badger-baiting and dog-fighting.

The Countryside Alliance’s Tim Bonner commented, ‘The British Polling Council Objects and Rules promote honest and fair public opinion research by ensuring full disclosure of research questions and data. This research was not published in a fair way. No member of the public reading the resulting media coverage could have known that the research involved comparing hunting to indefensible activities like dog-fighting.

‘In 2005, MORI was commissioned by the BBC to ask a straight question about hunting and less than half the population supported a ban. This poll asked a biased question.’

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