There is surely an element of hypocrisy in Tony Blair seemingly taking comfort from opinion polls that suggest 70 per cent of the population approves of the involvement of UK forces in the bombing of Afghanistan while, for the past four years or so, he has sought to diminish and sideline the concerns of a similar percentage of the electorate who wish to see the sport of hunting with hounds outlawed.

It seems the opinion of the electorate takes centre-stage only when it happens to coincide with his own aspirations.

-Peter Allen, Chute Avenue, High Salvington