The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British organisation promoting - amongst other issues - the interests of those who pursue country sports (hunting with hounds, shooting and fishing).
It was formed in 1998 from three organisations: the British Field Sports Society, and two other organisations (the Countryside Business Group and the Countryside Movement) which were formed with help from the British Field Sports Society.
The focus of its campaigning has been to defend hunting especially fox hunting, opposing the ban on fox hunting and other forms of hunting with hounds which came into effect in February 2005. Opponents of the Alliance claim that this is the sole focus of the organisation, a claim it denies, pointing out that it is campaigning on behalf of many other issue. They claim that the current campaign is a response to the government's "preoccupation with the issue".
Supporters of legislation have questioned the credibility of the Countryside Alliance claims to speak for the countryside when polls suggest people in rural areas are divided in their support for/opposition to hunting with hounds in much the same proportion as the urban population.
In response, the Countryside Alliance points to its campaigns try to preserve rural life in other ways, such as encouraging tourism (particularly important after the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease), encouraging consumption of local seasonal food and trying to keep rural Post Offices and pubs open.
The CA claims 100,000 members (October 2002), and also claims that 400,000 supporters participated in its September 22, 2002 "Liberty & Livelihood March" in London, a figure accepted by the Metropolitan Police Service.
The CA is not affiliated to any particular party. According to disclosures in the UK Data Protection Register, the CA carries out research on the backgrounds of those it considers to be its opponents.
The Countryside Alliance mounted a series of legal challenges to the Hunting Act 2004 that banned hunting with hounds (integral to the sport of, for example, fox hunting) in England & Wales from February 18, 2005, which have not so far (as of February 2006) met with success.
It announced on 22 July 2005 that its new chairman would be Labour MP Kate Hoey who represents the inner-London constituency of Vauxhall.