Goat shooting remarks miss the target

Sir, – I note with interest the comments of your correspondent Derek Farmer (Letters, October 27) regarding the incident of goat hunting on Islay and the subsequent comments by Mike Russell MSP.

Mr Farmer boldly states “how nice it would be if Mr Russell restricted his comments to subjects on which he has knowledge of or responsibility for”.

Mike Russell is the MSP for Argyll and Bute and the island on which the hunt took place is within his constituency.

It would seem to me that people shooting animals in your constituency is very much something you are entitled to comment upon.

I understand his constituents feel the same way with, I am led to believe, more than 700 of them contacting Mr Russell directly to complain about last week’s shooting.

Mr Farmer, over many years in your letters’ page, has shown himself to be staunch in his dislike of the SNP.

This seems to be behind his decision to comment on this particular subject.

However, I would dare to suggest, that he has “no knowledge of or responsibility for” the case.

Mr Farmer finishes his letter by suggesting Mike Russell takes “every opportunity for self publicity by broadcasting opinions on issues upon which he appears to be largely ignorant”.

How very ironic that, no doubt for a great many of your readers, this statement would sum up nicely the letter writing career of Mr Derek Farmer.

Henry Malcolm. 331 Clepington Street, Dundee.

Controversial hunter Larysa Switlyk takes a picture of her companion with the goat carcase on Islay.