MAURICE Brett tried to ridicule both the Countryside Alliance and the rural community with his letter (You Say, Monday, October 11).

His outlandish allegations turned out to be a classic own goal.

Mr Brett knows only too well that the Government's anti-hunting legislation will never improve animal welfare. The only objective is a continuation of class warfare.

That, in the simplest of terms, is prejudice. The Countryside Alliance has never claimed a million horses will be shot after a ban.

The likely outcome will be a huge number of good hunting horses sold off, greatly depressing the equine market.

This will result in thousands of older horses and ponies ending their days being bought at auction for live export and the horse butchers of Europe.

This trade was banned 80 years ago in this country. Now our Government has allowed it to resume.

The Countryside Alliance has never claimed 125,000 jobs will be lost following a ban.

Anyway, socialist Tony Blair (pictured) wouldn't care if half a million were out of a job and homes, because hunting would have been banned.

His party has had its £1m contribution from the animal rights brigade and those unruly backbench MPs need something to distract them from problems in Iraq. Mr Blair is only worried about one job, his own.

When Ken Livingstone was a Labour MP he tried to ban hunting with dogs.

Now, as Mayor of London, he employs falconers with hawks to hunt and kill pigeons around the capital. Amazingly these birds of prey are flown from Government buildings.

At least Maurice Brett and I agree on one thing - this ban is not just about prejudice, it also comes with a dose of good old hypocrisy.

AUDREY STEEL,

Chairman Worcestershire Countryside Alliance.