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But aren’t we being a bit squeamish about what we eat? Many years ago, a group of us were taken out to a restaurant in the old city in Rabat and were fed an endless stream of spiced, marinated, roasted kebabs, all tender and delicious. At the end of a very convivial evening, we asked our hosts what we had been eating and they shrugged their shoulders, said not sure, could be goat, dog, donkey, who knows? None of us threw up there and then or suffered any ill effects from our meal.
Finally, it is always nice to be able to blame the EU for something, and in this case one thing we can blame it for is closing an essential rural service. In the past, when the time came to say goodbye to your favourite hunter, the local hunt came to the farm, humanely destroyed your old friend and took him or her back to kennels to feed to the hounds. This service was free of charge. The profit for the hunt was in the rendering of the carcass, but this was stopped by EU regulations, so horses have to go to the abattoir and we now know what happens then.
Patrick Fox
Nairobi, Kenya
Sir: Nick Cohen’s ‘War on whistleblowers’ (9 February) rang several bells, following my experiences in Brussels as an independent MEP. The very idea that ‘following correct procedures’ would protect them is pure Alice in Wonderland.
There is a long history of vilification of whistleblowers in the EU. Soviet-style long-term sick leave was enforced on mental health grounds on more than one occasion. Investigation into the whistleblower and his motives was not unusual. Internal retaliation (loss of promotion and threats of sacking for ‘incompetence’) more often turned whistleblowers into victims rather than heroes. Formal rules like those proposed by Leveson were shown to be hopelessly insufficient, as real protection was not guaranteed. The fundamental nonsense of the Leveson proposal is its circular nature. Since when did any institution protect those brave enough to criticise it?
Ashley Mote
Binsted, Hampshire
Sir: Rod Liddle is clearly finding consistency a challenge. Hunting foxes is breaking the law and should be prosecuted without favour. Chris Huhne’s conviction for perjury, on the other hand, leaves Rod feeling sorry for him (9 February). Apparently a ‘small lie’ when it comes to breaking the law is different from other offences — or maybe it is a question of perspective.
Tim Pearson
London SE9
Sir: Watching the BBC Parliament channel today, I noted vast expanses of empty green and red leather benches, despite parliament being in session. It struck me that those members playing truant should be made to work for free in their nearest Poundland. However, I’d advise the store to arrange a strict stock-check before their arrival, and another immediately after their departure.
Dai Woosnam
Grimsby
Sir: Stephen Glover’s lament for the Independent on Sunday (‘Death of a newspaper’, 16 February) fails to point out that the IoS was only started as a spoiler for the Sunday Correspondent. The Independent launched successfully in 1986. The Sunday Correspondent started up in 1989; the IoS was started in 1990 and wrecked the SC, which itself closed in late 1990. The IoS launch, though, financially and morally crippled the daily paper. If they’d just left well alone.
Peter Lucey
Wokingham, Berks
Sir: If Clarissa Tan does take a helicopter ride to look down on all the crosses formed by churches facing east (‘Western feng shui’, 16 February), she would also be fascinated to see that nearly all footpaths lead, spider-like, to our churches. When will we appreciate these treasures? The National Trust offers nothing as glorious as our parish churches, nor as local, nor free.
Caroline Everett
Wittersham, Kent
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