THE argument against fox hunting has being going on for as long as I can remember and seems to be lead by city dwellers.

John Salvatore has engaged in lengthy arguments to protect the fox but surely the statement in, Time to rethink your hunting argument, Points of View, April 29, 'Public opinion has decided that hunting foxes, and hares for sport be banned', is not the full story, so to imply that current legislation was arrived at by the democratic process is flawed.

This is because legislation was formed by city and urban-based MPs where the views of those, more directly affected, were relatively unrepresented — hence the current problems.

Whatever the case, the arguments of John Salvatore, interesting though they are, are dwarfed by a letter, same page, Help improve life for laboratory animals, outlining the terrible cruelty to animals, including experimentation that has been allowed within the EU.

Surely this, the horrendous consequences to innocent dolphins by some forms of pair trawling and the factory environment that animals are reared in in parts of the EU are a greater priority

The EU has become a hopeless juggernaught and the only real way to turn away from cruelty to animals is to stop buying suspect products imported from outside the UK and support British farming that employ humane methods.

Any extra cost would not be great and could be paid for by consuming less or cutting waste. Massive sums could be saved by importing from creditable countries, supporting poverty-stricken countries and enabling them to produce surpluses and reducing money poured down the drain to the EU.

The only benefit of the EU is that it is a place of sanctuary for displaced politicians and therefore all the main political parties support this unaccountable organisation. The United Kingdom Independence, Party, known as UKIP, seem to be the only creditable party in opposition to the EU.

D. Smith.

Herschell Road

Exeter

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