KNOT WORTHY (via Mike Daley):

The death of the hunt will be Blair's memorial (Max Hastings, 12/09/2004, Daily Telegraph)

In the days when he was a Tory MP, George Walden observed that he was personally indifferent about the survival of fox hunting, but that any society capable of tying its legislature in knots to secure the sport's abolition had got its priorities perverted.

Well, now we know that this Government is indeed willing to tie the legislature in knots, and has got its priorities perverted. A host of Labour MPs who would not look up from the trough to attend a debate on child cruelty, defence, anti-terrorist measures, rail safety, wind farms or the Day of Judgment will crowd the Chamber to abolish fox hunters.

This, of course, is what it is about. Animal welfare has nothing to do with the case. Cars will continue to kill far more foxes than hunts. In hunting countries, foxes that have been lovingly preserved for the pleasure of hunts for centuries will be shot, trapped or gassed. The ban will achieve only the visceral gratification of the Labour Party. It will give the likes of John Prescott something to crow about from his dunghill at the Party Conference - and mark my words, he will.

I predicted almost two years ago that Tony Blair would get himself into such trouble over Iraq that he would feel obliged to toss the fox hunters to his backbenchers. The jackals would need a bone to gnaw while the great issues
of the day escape unheeded up the road from Basra. So it has proved.

What can you say about a nation so debased that it thinks ending fox hunting a great moral achievement but doubts the wisdom of ending Saddam's reign of terror?

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 12, 2004 5:46 PM