WENDY Hands has on numerous occasions attempted to portray the Countryside Alliance as a single issue group, fixated only with the preservation of hunting.

Ms Hands fails dismally. She simply has no evidence to prove her case. Of the broad array of interests addressed by the Alliance, country sports play a comparatively small part.

A study of Press releases, policy documents and their web site will show beyond doubt that the Alliance covers a very broad spectrum of rural interests.

The newly-elected Labour Government can far more easily be accused of being obsessed with the single issue of hunting than the Alliance.

In the recent Queens Speech, they brought forward only one rural matter, a free vote on hunting with dogs. There was no pledge to hold an independent inquiry into the foot-and-mouth epidemic or improve rural policing, schools or services.

New Labour has failed to deliver to the rural community for the last four years. It seems they have no interest in the countryside other than imposing a hunting ban.

Our countryside is a structure of many interdependent parts - remove any single piece and the rest will start to collapse. While the Government remains so obsessed with hunting and continues to neglect the real problems, the future well-being of rural Britain, its economy, social life and conservation will remain very much at risk.

It is now time for Prime Minister Blair to act and deal with the rural crisis if Labour is to retain any respect in the countryside.

JON BURGESS, Malvern.