AS we enter the party conference season, it is interesting to see how the many interest groups are continuing just as if there were no problems with MPs expenses and how they used tax payers' money in rather dubious and dishonourable ways.

Take for example Nick Herbert, Shadow Environment Secretary, a huntsman and a former director of political affairs at the British Field Sports Society — now known as the Countryside Alliance, which he helped to launch to fight against any attempts to ban hunting by the current Labour government.

Mr Herbert has set up a new website named Future Countryside (www.futurecountryside. com), used as a platform to discuss the future of the countryside.

This is a rather concerning development as the Countryside Alliance has been demanding that shooting sports should receive the full support of government and hence access to sports funding.

So we could see next year Nick Herbert MP, a huntsman, as the Secretary of State for Defra within a Tory government.

We could soon see many more people including children out on a killing spree in the countryside, perhaps receiving sporting grants made available to purchase their firearms.

The Hunting Act was meant to outlaw the hunting of wild animals with packs of dogs.

It would now seem, however, that not only would they be able to continue to hunt but perhaps get financial support to develop the hunting and shooting activities carried out in the countryside.

We are starting to see what a future Tory government would support.

Hunting and shooting have always been activities that predominantly white and well heeled members of society participate in, far removed from the realities that most people have to deal with.

Even within the depths of the current recession, significant time and resources are being expended to further these minority causes.

So it would seem that it's not only the rich that will inherit the earth but also the hunters; a brave new world indeed!

Graham Forsyth

Fairway Rise, Chard

(by email)