Cynic, I think the distance between us may well be reflected elsewhere in the UKIP membership and supports my original assertion that Hunting should be left out of the Manifesto to avoid splitting members on a non-core issue.
Three clarifications though:
1. There is animal testing and animal testing; the EU would increase it unnecessarily and furthermore the way that it is done eg without anaesesthesia, with few inspectors etc. UKIP could pledge to improve this
2. There is no proof of a link between bovine TB and badgers. Massive systamatic culls of badgers in selected areas have not proved the allegation. And farmers flout the law by killing badgers in protected areas and dumping them on roads as road kills.
3. British farmers are generally (but unfortunately not always) more caring of their livestock than their Continental competition and this needs to be stressed. I am with you all the way on local abatoirs. The recent attacks by trading standards officers on butchers informing customers of which local farms their meat comes from needs to be fought. Trading standards were as usual claiming an EU directive as their justification.
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