THE politics of this country have sunk to a sorry state.

We have a war that most Brits did not want causing loss of life of our own troops and the Iraqi civilians; a national health service sinking to the standards of a Third World country; children leaving school without basic literacy or numeracy; criminals who are glorified and victims who are vilified and people being taxed into poverty.

While all this is going on what does our parliament want? Push through a law to ban fox hunting. I love animals and think priorities have got to be taken in context.

If fox hunting is Labour's priority they must have a very poor outlook on the problems of their fellow men and women

Any politician who takes this stand is not worth the ground he stands on and does not represent most of his or her constituents - the job they were elected to do.

TJ Ryder,

Priory Gardens,

Dringhouses, York.

Updated: 11:20 Wednesday, September 08, 2004