York Tories ‘fox hunting’ social to take place this Friday despite criticism

The social was blasted by YUSU, committee members and the actual Conservative Party


The York Tories society has announced its controversial “fox hunting” social will take place this Friday, 6th March 2020.

The fox hunting social is a bar crawl event where committee members dress as “foxes” and non-committee members dress in traditional tweed-dress representing the “hunters.” However, the Facebook event states that “hunter-style costume is advised but not mandatory.”

The social will begin in D-bar at 7 pm before a bar chase across town, where the “hunters” will chase the “foxes” and attempt to catch them. The official bar chase route will be confirmed this Friday.

Previously the York Conservative party have condemned the social, they said: “the party does not endorse York Tories Fox Hunting Social, nor the students that take part in it. This does not represent our young Conservative Movement, the York Tories are not affiliated to the Conservative Party.”

A spokesperson for the York Tories told Nouse the social “does not mean the society takes a stance on fox hunting, it is simply a vehicle providing a theme for a chase bar crawl, allowing our members to decide their own opinion on fox hunting.”

The social was originally cancelled in 2013 amidst claims of sexism and accusatory threats. Previously, female members were encouraged to dress as “foxes” and the male members as the “hunters.”

The York Tab asked via Instagram if students thought The York Tories “fox hunting” social bar crawl was “just banter” or “shameful.” 33 per cent of students thought the bar crawl was “just banter” whereas 67 per cent thought it was “shameful.”

Current 2019/20 YUSU Environmental and Ethics Officer, Merry Dickinson, previously told Nouse she could not “imagine why the [York Tories] would want to hold a social based upon the concept unless it was in some way indicative of their politics and beliefs.”

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