The Urbane Fox

‘ONE way out of the mess in Iraq would be for the Government to label all terrorists as “foxes” and send out not the Army to deal with them, but the Beaufort Hunt.

Ali Ghazi is happy to be working again after his last boss was overthrown

This way, the hunting fraternity would get their sport, the lunatics would get to be ripped apart by hounds’ teeth and Alun Michael, the Rural Affairs Minister, would get to go out in public once more.

But despite his going to ground, the Independent did catch up with Michael as he left after speaking at the National Parks conference in Exeter.

The paper, like us, had expected to see Michael taking the train from London down to the West Country, as he normally would.

But he changed his plans, choosing to drive and so avoid any confrontation with angry people in tweed on station platforms.

But the pro-hunt campaigners, who blame him for not defending their rights - and, as the Telegraph says, for taking the Bill banning hunting through the House of Commons - spotted him as he drove off and pelted his car with some fresh farm produce.

One protestor, as the report says, was even arrested for hurling himself onto the bonnet of the minister’s car.

It could have been worse had not 60 police officers and a large metal barrier protected the man who is fast learning what it feels like to be hunted prey.

But no fence is sturdy enough to prevent Michael’s nemesis, Lucy Ferry, daughter of singer Bryan Ferry, from achieving her stated aim to “bring the Government down”.

Appearing in court, Ferry pleased guilty to blocking the entrance to Parliament Square with her car on the day of the demonstration against the Hunting Bill.

Leaving court, she told the Telegraph’s reporters: “We are disgusted with Mr Blair’s lies, and we can bring this Government down. Alun Michael already cannot leave London. We will keep fighting.”

But surely she’s mistaken; Michael can leave London - unless, of course, it wasn’t him in Exeter, but a stunt double of the type favoured by Saddam Hussein.

It might be that the experiences in Iraq have taught this Government one thing after all…’

Posted: 23rd, September 2004 | In: Uncategorized Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink