EXETER MP Ben Bradshaw is no fool about foxhunting. The former BBC journalist still has his old instincts, despite being elevated to Cabinet as Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport.

National polls show that the Conservatives are backing a vote loser by effectively undertaking to reverse the ban on hunting with dogs, so imagine what public reaction will be to a photo of Tory leader Dave Cameron riding out with the Old Berks Hunt and its chairman, Cameron's step father-in-law Lord Astor.

As a public relations professional, Cameron has been careful to stay away from the hunting crowd except when he's well away from the Press, such as his recent visit to Lord Astor's Scottish shooting estate. He is fully committed to the huntin' and shootin' set; they're his relatives and close friends and it was quite natural for him to arrange the selection of pro-hunting lobbyists Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, as prospective parliamentary candidate for the marginal Westminster constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, which the Tories could easily win.

It may seem bizarre, with all the economic troubles we face, that foxhunting could be a major issue in the next General Election, but it's more of a trigger than an issue, a reminder to the electorate that David Cameron and his close circle of advisers are not ordinary people like them – most have substantial inherited wealth, were educated at expensive private schools like Eton College and are related, directly or by marriage, to the country's landed aristocracy.

However hard Cameron tries to persuade voters that they're new, compassionate Conservatives, the polls show the punters aren't persuaded and the advice to Labour from Barack Obama's former polling adviser is to emphasise this "toff" factor as much as possible. Foxhunting is tailor-made for the task.

The Tories are riding high in the polls because Labour is lumbered with Gordon Brown and can't get rid of him despite many of its MPs privately sharing Charles Clarke's opinion that he's an indecisive leader. At the height of the 10 per cent income tax rate revolt, Brown promised the Parliamentary Labour Party that he would "get it", but he never did because he can't.

And what do Labour activists think of him? The TV news report of Brown's welcoming speech to the party's annual conference delegates in Brighton showed it all. About three-quarters of the seats were empty!

Martin Bell

Port Isaac

Eco-runway next?

RARELY a day goes by without this Government announcing green and "eco-friendly" initiatives – and only recently the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn stressed the need for the UK to be more food self-sufficient.

It is hard to believe that this is the same Government which is orchestrating a huge increase in the United Kingdom population and is determined to push through massive housing schemes irrespective of the views of local communities.

No Government can truthfully call itself eco-friendly when it encourages a booming population in what is already one of the world's most overcrowded countries and seeks to concrete over vast swathes of land.

No doubt it will attempt to paper over these discrepancies by attaching the word "eco" to any development.

It is surely only a matter of time before the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport is described as an "eco-runway"!

J H Mann

Torquay

Deal with these yobs

WHY are yobs, such as the one who drove Fiona Pilkington and her daughter to an early death, allowed to get away with it?

The yob responsible has obviously been identified, so let him and his parents be prosecuted forthwith. Either that or charge the former chief constable for neglect of duty.

This sort of thing must not be attributed to modern life.

Furthermore, I am appalled that, in today's society, something as sad, tragic and preventable has been allowed to happen.

Asbos aren't any good it seems, so let's bring back the old-style 1950s National Service. I'm sure there are some NCOs out there who are ready for a challenge.

Barry Thomas

Redruth

Orwellian TV

AT noon on September 30 we took another step forward into the brave new Orwellian world of better is worse.

I can no longer get ITV3 or 4, but I can get endless repetitions of utterly dreadful American chat shows – oh, and also on scrolling through my menu I find a chatline for gay rabbits.

Since the only rabbits that I know are the ones that I shoot for the pot, then I assume that these are some other creatures only to be found in the warrens of the media world, hence untouched by change.

Perhaps the scientists could invent a new form of myxomatosis to deal with them and then I can have Poirot and Wycliffe returned to my screen.

G Bastable

Tiverton