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The former chairman of the Conservative Party says Theresa May's manifesto promise to hold a vote on bringing back fox hunting is now dead in the water.

Grant Shapps said it was "absolute insanity" to try to change the fox hunting laws the light of the Tories' general election humiliation.

Mrs May's manifesto promised a free vote in the House of Commons on repealing the Hunting Act.

She said on the campaign trail: "As it happens, personally, I have always been in favour of fox hunting and we maintain our commitment - we have had a commitment previously as a Conservative Party - to allow a free vote."

And the Mirror exposed on its front page how hunt masters were "mobilising" to get Mrs May back into power to legalise their sick bloodsport once again.

(Image: PA)

But Mr Shapps now says the chances of this happening are zero given the Tories' non-existent parliamentary majority.

He told the BBC's Daily Politics: "It's absolute insanity to start talking about passing and changing fox hunting laws, what an Earth was that about?

"I thought a mistake had been made, perhaps an off-the-cuff comment.

(Image: PA)

(Image: Daily Mirror)

"Then I read the manifesto and discovered not only were were planning to allow a free vote, but it was going to be a government bill and on government time.

"This now stands absolutely no chance. It's a silly idea."

The weakened Prime Minister is desperately clinging to power after losing her overall majority in the House of Commons.

Mrs May was forced to beg the Democratic Unionist Party to prop up her government.

And her closest aides Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy resigned after angry cabinet ministers said she must change the way she works or resign.