Don't link the Afghan conflict with hunting
REGARDING Colin Richey's letter, Why this flawed Act is not a priority for me, Echo, November 5. Might I cast his mind back to where the recent tit-for-tat arguments about hunting began?
It began with the Tory leader David Cameron announcing to his party conference that after 12-and-a-half years in opposition and with the country facing the deepest recession since 1929, he would as a priority make time to repeal the Hunting Act.
I share Colin's views with regard to Afghanistan, but I'm afraid he not comparing like with like.
Mr Cameron and Gordon Brown are of the same mind on Afghanistan, so don't expect Mr Cameron to bring our troops home.
Mr Brown will, of course, continue to pay homage to the dead while he sends more troops to their deaths.
This war has taken on a life of its own. We won't leave until we win it and while we remain we make the Taliban, who thrive on martyrdom, more determined.
Afghanistan is now a dictatorship and our troops support a puppet regime, just as the Russians did before us.
Sooner or later our troops will have to come home. Better sooner than later, surely.
But long after our troops return, the children of Afghanistan will continue to die as a result of those mines.
Wars never end. Hunting has.
G R Holwill
Stoke Hill Crescent, Exeter
3 Comments
by Alan Kirby, Protect Our Wild Animals, Hayle, Cornwall
Thursday, November 12 2009, 8:10PM
“In fact, the repeal of the Hunting Act was Cameron's first, and, for a long-time, only firm policy. Ever since the prospect of the long overdue and highly popular ban on hunting became real, the bloodsports lobby have progressively been taking control of the Tory Party. Cameron, a hunter himself, was largely 'their' candidate. Hunters fund the Party hugely. They provide a small army of activists in the form of 'Vote OK'. Nick Herbert, their Environment shadow Minister, was a fanatical hare hunter when younger. These repellent people care about little other than getting the Hunting Act repealed, even though even most Conservative voters, according to the latest poll 62% want it to stay. One wonders why, since weak wording, loopholes and weak enforcement mean they can carry on much as they always did, anyway. The great majority want this unjustifiable and cruel 'sport' banned properly. Strengthen the Act.”
by Nick Singer, SE UK
Thursday, November 12 2009, 11:43AM
“It is actually the Labour government that is to make a major issue of hunting all over again.
The government plans to make Tory promises to facilitate a vote on the matter an election strategy, indicating that Labour has lost either its sense of priorities or its grip on reality - or both...”
by Graham, Exeter
Thursday, November 12 2009, 11:15AM
“Foxhunting is NOT a 'priority' for the Conservatives. David Cameron has made a commitment to a FREE VOTE on the repeal of Labour's Hunting Act. There is no commitment to even debate the issue in the House. If the free vote goes in favour of repeal, then the Hunting Act would be removed from the statute book by a Statutory Instrument. The Torys have no intention of wasting anything like the 700 hours Labour spent debating the issue - which was more time than Labour spent debating the Iraq war!”