Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has spoken out strongly against government moves to ban hunting with hounds.

Speaking from the head of the countryside march in London, Duncan Smith said the government was intent on damaging rural Britain.

"Mr Blair should now recognise that what he is about to do in terms of hunting is indecent. He is throwing red meat to his back benchers. That is all he is doing," said Duncan Smith.

Slamming Tony Blair's legislative priorities, the opposition leader said: "Hunting doesn't harm anybody. To make criminals of people who do that has got to be wrong."

He dismissed suggestions that the Tories were making politics out of the occasion.

"I am not taking part in this march because I think it is going to improve my chances of getting votes. I am doing it because I really believe it is wrong and I have told the prime minister that," he said.

"The answer is to do the right thing and I believe it is the right thing to be on the march and that is why I am here."

Duncan Smith called on the government to focus on the "huge problems" facing the countryside.

"Transport is really difficult, hospitals are centralised miles away from people, village shops are closing, there are all sorts of problems with farming," he told reporters.

"These people are saying: 'Look at all these problems and yet you are going to make criminals of us for going hunting'.

"My point is why waste time on hunting legislation when there are so many more important issues?''

His comments came as rural affairs minister Alun Michael promised to bring forward a bill setting out the government's proposals "within weeks".

"I hope to bring forward the proposals in weeks rather than months," he said. "I hope to do so in a way that will persuade parliament. I hope that will win support that means we can be through the process in a matter of months, or a year at most, of the Bill being introduced."

But he did not rule out using the Parliament Acts to force through the will of the House of Commons if no compromise could be found between peers and MPs.

Duncan Smith said people would have to abide by the law if a ban was passed - but vowed to repeal the legislation if elected to government.

"I would not advocate people hunting if it became illegal. I am a politician and I believe the law is there to be obeyed," he said.

"What I will say is that if this government provides time to ban hunting then I would provide time to make sure there is an opportunity to reverse that."