I MUST say that James Stevens' response to my challenge on fox hunting was pretty pathetic and showed an utter contempt for the commonsense of voters in the constituency he wishes to represent.

Does he think that by simply avoiding association with the Tories' most unpopular policies he can win people's trust? The fact remains that if the Tories win power they have pledged to overturn any ban on fox hunting that may occur. Is Mr Stevens, a typical career politician, going to vote against this key Tory policy? I think not. As for trying to say that this is not a party political issue because a handful of Labour MPs out of the hundreds that have been elected oppose a ban, one must question Mr Stevens' logic. The fact remains that the Tories, of which Mr Stevens in a very committed member, are wholly in favour of bloodsports, as are the majority of Liberal Democrats. No amount of wriggling on Mr Stevens' part will ever change that.

Mr P Osbourne

Moses Gate, Bolton