The Fox in the Tug-of-War: Dan Norris and the League’s Struggle for Integrity

In the murky world of political opportunism, stands Dan Norris MP, the League Against Cruel Sports Chair and a Labour politician, whose financial backers and political affiliations cast a troubling shadow over the charity.

Labour Together: The Hidden Agenda

Labour Together, the factional group formed after Labour’s 2017 general election surge under Jeremy Corbyn. The Observer’s¹ September 2024 exposé of Labour Together laid bare the extent of its campaign against Corbynism. Labour Together’s tactics included feeding stories of antisemitism within Labour to a Tory-friendly press, weaponising these allegations to discredit Corbyn and thwart Labour’s chances of winning the next election.

Norris’s Convenient Omissions

Dan Norris’s November 2018 article for BristolLive, titled Shock, horror! Labour’s antisemitism problem², amplified Labour Together’s narratives, revealing his willingness to undermine his party for personal gain. It is notable for what it omits as much as what it contains. While attacking the then Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, Norris failed to mention his affiliation with Labour Friends of Israel, a group notorious for advancing the Israeli government’s interests within the Labour Party. In stark contrast, Jeremy Corbyn has been a long-time advocate for anti-racism, human rights and international law.

The timing of Norris’s piece is equally perplexing. It came a year after Labour’s remarkable 2017 general election performance under Corbyn that had stripped Theresa May of her majority, where the party secured 40% of the vote—the largest increase since 1945.

The Financial Web Behind Dan Norris

Norris’s register of interests lists significant contributions from Jonathan Neil Mendelsohn, a former treasurer of Labour Friends of Israel, Stuart Roden, a prominent pro-Israel donor who has provided substantial funding to the Labour Party, and Sir Trevor Chinn via local and central Labour organisations. Chinn is active in pro-Israel causes and is a former director of Labour Together.

Silencing the League’s Criticism

Ahead of the 2024 general election, the League’s leadership had anticipated a strong commitment from Labour to strengthen the Hunting Act, akin to Corbyn’s 2019 pledge. However, the eventual manifesto fell short, sparking discontent within the organisation.

The League CEO was reportedly gagged from criticising this diluted position. Norris, seeking to avoid conflicts with Labour leadership—including Steve Reed MP, a key figure in Labour Together—allegedly suppressed internal dissent. This silencing coincided with the CEO’s departure, raising questions about whether Norris prioritised his political ambitions over the League’s mission.

The Fox in the Tug-of-War

As the League grapples with its leadership crisis, its mission has become a metaphorical fox in a tug-of-war. On one side stand activists and members demanding robust action against hunting; on the other, political operatives pulling strings to align the League with centrist Labour’s priorities.

Reclaiming the League

The League has always been a complex campaigning organisation, not without its internal conflicts. However, under Norris’s leadership, it has descended to a new low—prioritising political manoeuvring over its core mission. Where previous iterations of the League maintained a measure of principled campaigning, the current leadership appears willing to compromise the organisation’s reputation for personal and political gain.

Change doesn’t happen through polite negotiation. It happens through an uncompromising commitment to principle. The moment activism becomes comfortable, it has already lost its power.

To restore its credibility, the League must confront its leadership failures. The incoming CEO, set to start in March 2025, faces a daunting task. For genuine reform, the current board must resign and make way for individuals committed to preserving the charity’s reputation and mission. Yet, with the entrenched egos of senior management and trustees, such a clean break may remain wishful thinking.