Paws for thought at No.10

EVEN after Theresa May’s appointment as Prime Minister, the battle for No.10 continues.

Larry the Cat, the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, has been seen this week limping in Downing Street with one paw in the air.

It is well-known in Westminster that Larry has a fierce feline rivalry with Palmerston, the chief mouser of the Foreign Office.

Earlier in July, Larry and Palmerston were filmed having a standoff in Downing Street. It brought back memories of Margaret Thatcher and Geoffrey Howe.

We are still unsure whether Palmerston was responsible for Larry’s injury.

I asked the Leader of the House of Commons if the new Prime Minister cared as much for cats as did David Cameron.

I was reassured of Theresa May’s good intention towards Larry and I understand the vet has been called in.

There was a very impassioned debate following the many letters I have received from constituents concerned about the use of snares.

A debate in the House of Commons on the issue argued that the practice of snaring is cruel and inhumane.

According to the League Against Cruel Sports, up to 69% of animals caught are non-target species, such as badgers, deer and domestic pets.

Around 1.7 million wild and domestic animals are killed by snares each year.

Snaring is cruel, lethal and a sop to the commercial shooting industry. I join in the call for an outright ban on the manufacture, sale and use of snares.

In the meantime, if people do not believe the law is being enforced, they should report incidents to the police.