ALL is not lost. The Bill to ban hunting with hounds may have been pushed through Parliament but there is a long way to go before the Bill becomes law. The hunting community still has the time and the resources to make implementation of this plainly daft legislation impossible.

Mr Blair has been exposed as a craven political opportunist. He clearly has no strong feelings on the issue but is prepared to foist an unjust and unjustified hunting ban on the countryside in order to keep the great New Labour project on course. Clearly he believes that by conceding to the Left of his party on this issue he will ensure its support for some of his more controversial public services reforms. He may prove to be nave in banking on that.

This week the organisations supporting hunting were keeping their powder dry about their next steps, but we understand they do have legal ammunition still to fire in the fight to preserve the sport. Thankfully our local hunts do not have plans to break the law, either by hunting on if a ban does come into force or by planning other acts of civil disobedience in advance of implementation.

One of the strengths of the hunting community has been its dignity in the face of crass prejudice. The huge and peaceful demonstrations in London did much to disabuse the nation of the idea that hunting people were just a bunch of arrogant toffs. The scenes of mayhem in Westminster last week, while illustrating the depth of feeling the ban provokes, also served to alienate the uncommitted. The support of the majority of British people, who have no strong feelings either way on the issue, has to be retained.