Poll: Should fox hunting be brought back?
A substantial number of Conservatives would help defeat attempts to repeal the ban on hunting with dogs, Liam Fox has said.
The Tory former cabinet minister said he would welcome a free vote although predicted there would be enough opposition in the House of Commons to prevent the law being changed.
Prime Minister David Cameron promised to offer MPs a free vote on a Government Bill to repeal the Hunting Act passed by the former Labour administration in 2004 if he won the general election.
The law currently bans t he use of dogs to hunt foxes and other wild mammals in England and Wales.
Opposition from the Liberal Democrats prevented Mr Cameron delivering on a similar pledge made in the Conservative manifesto for the 2010 general election.
Appearing on Murnaghan on Sky News, Mr Fox said: "I would like to see a free vote on it.
"Given the balance of the House of Commons I think you will have pretty much all the opposition parties voting against and a substantial number of Conservatives against it.
"I do not see it happening. But again we gave a commitment we would have a free vote and I think that we should have a free vote."
