()borne off target
From John Swift Sir Peter Oborne seems to have spent too long in his stuffy London office and has developed a conspiracy theory too far concerning rural sports. He makes a number of unsupported assumptions in his comment on the Hunting Bill (Politics, 13 November). Perhaps he needs to get out more.
1F1ASC remains steadfastly opposed to the Hunting Bill, and has supported the Countryside Alliance through its legal protests in the run-up to the Bill. Tens of thousands of BASC members attended the marches in London and I have spoken at a number of rallies including one in Parliament Square and the recent demonstration in Brighton. We have privately and publicly told ministers at every opportunity of our opposition to the Bill.
It would, however, be negligent of us to allow legislation which would affect shooting sports to go unchallenged. To that end we have worked to secure amendments from the government to the Hunting Bill, which will protect shooting sports. None of these was arranged 'privately' but were put forward as government amendments and subjected to parliamentary scrutiny. To describe this process as a 'classic strategic error' is nonsense. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation has a duty to avoid damage to shooting sports.
John Swift
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, Wrexham
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