A ban on hunting should not be high on the government's agenda, according to a poll of Labour supporters.

Of those that were questioned for the NOP survey, only one per cent said it should be a priority issue.

The row over hunting has raged on since Labour came to power in 1997, and was re-ignited last month when 200 Labour MPs signed a Commons motion calling for the re-introduction of legislation.

Backbenchers including former health secretary Frank Dobson and former sports minister Tony Banks argued that, since 1995, the House has voted for a ban on a total of nine occasions, and that ministers should use the Parliament Acts to implement it.

Such a move would mean that hunting could be banned by next spring.

However the poll, commissioned by the Countryside Alliance, found that the NHS was considered a higher priority among Labour supporters at 34 per cent, with education identified by under a quarter of those questioned.

Terrorism and the situation in Iraq were considered the main priorities by just over a fifth of those questioned, while immigration was cited by 17 per cent.

"Anti-hunting Labour MPs have suggested that a ban on hunting would motivate their voters and the party faithful - this is clearly nonsense when 99 per cent of Labour voters have other priorities," said Countryside Alliance chief executive Simon Hart.

"The real fact is that these MPs' own supporters think that they should be putting the NHS, education, Iraq and immigration well above hunting on the political agenda.

"The House of Commons seems to be the only place left where a ban on hunting is considered either important or desirable.

"The continuing obsession of some backbench Labour MPs with this issue will only add to the impression that politicians are out of touch with ordinary voters and they risk making their government look completely ridiculous."