A senior Conservative politician has re-ignited the controversy over the fox hunting ban by demanding a Parliamentary vote on the issue.

The newly-elected leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said voters would expect the party to keep its promises.

As the Daily Press has reported, the Coalition Agreement hammered out by the Tories and Liberal Democrats after last year’s General Election promised to address hunting.

It said: “We will bring forward a motion on a free vote enabling the House of Commons to express its view on the repeal of the Hunting Act.”

However, 15 months on nothing has happened, amid claims a group of anti-hunting Tory MPs nicknamed the ‘Blue Foxes’ think they have ended the prospect of a vote this Parliament.

But Mr Davies, a keen farmer and member of the Welsh Assembly, said: “I do believe that if politicians make a commitment they should do all in their power to see the commitment through.

“If politicians say something and put it in writing they should endeavour to deliver on that.”

Labour seized on the comments, to suggest hunting should not be a key priority for Mr Davies – not least because the Welsh Assembly cannot do anything about it.

Senior Assembly Member Vaughan Gething (cor) said he should be focussing on issues that really mattered to rural people. “It is astonishing that while the Welsh public are worrying about jobs, housing, and rising living costs, Andrew RT Davies is talking about a Westminster vote on fox hunting,” he said.

There are understood to be at least 23 Tory MPs opposed to hunting, which would be enough to win a Commons vote, if they are joined by Labour and Lib Dems.

The Blue Foxes are mainly younger, first-time MPs who support the Conservatives Against Fox Hunting group, and do not believe bloodsports have any place in modern Britain.

They include Caroline Dinenage, daughter of TV presenter Fred Dinenage, who said she was brought up in the countryside – but could not justify hunting.

“I don’t hold with the idea that just because it’s traditional we have to continue to do it,” she said. “If that was the case, we’d still have bear-baiting and be sending small children up chimneys.”

But the Countryside Alliance said the Blue Foxes were “a very small group of young, urban MPs” who “represent a tiny group within the Conservative Party”. It added: “Regardless of the Blue Fox group, there is still a huge number of MPs in Parliament – from all political parties – who are committed to repeal.”

“The bottom line is that the Hunting Act has failed and should be repealed. The Government’s position on repeal remains unchanged and it is committed to a vote on the Hunting Act when the time is right.”