Blunderbuss Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) David, I wrote to my MP about the game rearing EDM. To his credit he replied quite quickly, but his reply shows that he has not read it properly, and worryingly that he believes BASC views are broadly in line with the EDM!! :blink: Do you think someone from Marford Mill could contact him and put him straight? The e-mail chain to date is as follows: Dear David Drew, I was surprised and disappointed to see you named as a supporter of David Taylor's June EDM which effectively calls for a ban on game shooting. As well as providing employment, livelihood and recreation for a great many people, game shooting is largely responsible for our unique British countryside. 60% of rural land is managed for shooting and without it there would be no incentive to maintain the woods, hedgerows and other features which make our countryside so beautiful. When I sit down to locally sourced roast partridge tonight, I do so with a clear conscience knowing it has had a better life, and a less traumatic death than any supermarket chicken. I believe in animal welfare, but there are far more important issues to address. Intensively reared broiler chickens for example, though I accept this might not be such a vote winner amongst urban supermarket shoppers buying two for a fiver in Tescos? Game is free range, organic, sustainably harvested and locally sourced. It is low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein. Why, yet again are the urban "elite" hell-bent on destroying a way of life they have little understanding of? A great many of your constituents in and around the five valleys are shooters, keepers, beaters, loaders, pickers-up, game farmers and game dealers. A silent, law abiding minority, but one that is sick of being used as an easy target by MPs. I do not vote on party lines, but make my mind up on the issues which are important to me. You are a good constituency MP and I was pleased to see you avoided the expenses excesses of your colleagues, but please - consider your rural, as well as urban constituents. I ask you to reconsider your stance on this issue Yours sincerely, xxxxxx --------------------------------------------- Dear Mr XXX Thank you for your email. I am very surprised at what you say as the EDM mirrors BASC's own desire to end the rearing of game that has not been done so on free range principles. The EDM just re-iterates what BASC have said to me on many occasions and I don't really see what is controversial about it? Yours sincerely David Drew ---------------------------------------------- Dear Mr Drew Thank you for your interest and prompt reply. I believe you may have misread the wording of the EDM. Were it merely a call to improve welfare standards for reared game, I would wholeheartedly support it. It does not. It calls unequivocally for a complete ban on rearing any game. I quote: "calls on the Government to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity to prohibit the production of birds for sport shooting". Were such a prohibition enacted it would effectively destroy game shooting in this country. You may now perhaps understand my surprise and disappointment at seeing your name on this. The EDM goes on to use emotive language to attack many other aspects of shooting, and is a thinly veiled attack on all shooting. I am a BASC member, and am certain that this in no way mirrors their view and am concerned that you may have been given that impression. I shall contact them as soon as possible to see how this may have come about. Can I ask for a clarification of your views on this? Do you support the aims of this EDM as worded, i.e. a complete ban on rearing game? Thank you again for taking the time to engage with me on this Yours Sincerely xxxxxx EDIT - I have e-mailed the details to political affairs at BASC HQ. I would be grateful though if you could ensure someone sees it and puts David Drew straight. Edited October 31, 2009 by Blunderbuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breastman Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Interested to see where this one goes Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeymagic1969 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) This is not good!!! - I thought BASC lobbied on our behalf to all the MP's and this is supposed to be what we pay the extra money for :blink: Maybe they should be making sure that all MP's fully understand our and BASC's stand on the proposed EDM Edited October 31, 2009 by monkeymagic1969 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) This is not good!!! - I thought BASC lobbied on our behalf to all the MP's and this is supposed to be what we pay the extra money for Maybe they should be making sure that all MP's fully understand our and BASC's stand on the proposed EDM To be fair I suspect it's a case of he didn't read the EDM properly, or misunderstood the BASC stance, rather than any failure on their part. A quick check shows he's signed 1421 early day motions! :blink: How many of them did he carefully scrutinise? I'm sure BASC have lobbied hard on this and it's unlikely to get very far, but there is clearly some misunderstanding on David Drew's behalf as to the BASC view. I just think they should clarify it with him, in case he's tempted to blindly support more anti shooting legislation in future. Edited October 31, 2009 by Blunderbuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeymagic1969 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Yes you are probably right but my worry is how many other of these idiots (sorry MP's) have the same understanding !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyp Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Yes you are probably right but my worry is how many other of these idiots (sorry MP's) have the same understanding !!! I couldn't agree more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkfooty Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Blunderbuss, I really want to compliment you on two brilliantly written letters. Of course, now that you have drawn your MP's stance/ignorance/misunderstanding to BASC, they should contact him to put him straight - especially as he mentions BASC in his reply to you. But it is critical that individual shooters get into dialogue with their MPs in the way you have done. After all, as a voter in his constituency he is going to listen to you. Unfortunately there are far too few who will take the trouble to write as you have done. Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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