Cameron's approach takes new turn

David Cameron has long since dropped his "hug a hoodie" approach to yob behaviour, but it now seems he has turned his get-up-close approach to animal - or at least bird - welfare.

Confronted by a man-sized chicken, who or which has been following him around on behalf of an anti-Tory newspaper, the Conservative leader decided to give the birdie a hug. He removed the chicken's head and attempted to engage the thing in conversation.

If the extra-terrrestrials were watching, they should be told that this was simply a response to a stunt and that the man who would be our leader has not turned into Dr Dolittle.

This all took place in the Staffordshire town of Tamworth, a Labour marginal, but he might have done well to cross the boundary into the South Shropshire Tory marginal of Ludlow where there were plenty if animals on display yesterday at Bridgnorth Livestock Market.

Successive governments have failed to grasp the nettle of tuberculosis in cattle, which farmers are convinced is caused by badger infection.

Animal welfare groups have effectively stopped ministers from ordering a meaningfull cull, but what about the welfare of bovine animals? The farming community cries.

Badgers may provide great viewing on Springwatch, but try telling a livestock farmer that they are more important than his prize Limosin bull or the dairy farmer that they are more important than the herd his family have taken generations to rear.

By the way, it's not just cattle which can catch TB from badgers. One of our cats died from TB almost certainly, accordingt to the vet, as a result of a squabble with a badger.

Then came tough questioning from young listeners to Radio One, who wanted to know why Gordon Brown had spent thousands of pounds on cleaning his second home.

The Prime Minister tried to explain that he had to live in two places, that he had a working wife and two children, and that he was paying his cleaner more than the minimum wage.

He said: "I feel my crime was to pay a decent wage to my cleaner, because nobody was saying you can't claim for cleaning your house."

Mr Brown just couldn't see the point, put to him repeatedly by his persistent interviewer, Tulip Mazumdar, that many people couldn't see why taxpayers were paying for his cleaning in the first place.

More shockingly was Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrats' ace in the pack until Nick Clegg's emergence from his shadow in last week's TV debate, finally breaking his uncharacteristic silence yesterday.

Mr Cable, who basks under the reputation of being one of the very few to forecast the banking crash, was shaking his head at the possible post-election scenario whereby Gordon Brown could end up in third place to the popular vote and yet have more Commons seats than the Tories or Lib Dems, enabling him to stay at No 10 running a minority government.

He said: "The whole system would be completely and utterly discredited if such an absurd outcome were to happen.

"It would make the whole of this political system, which has increasingly been creaking and groaning and the public no longer accepts, illegitimate."

Illegitimate, that is, except in the eye of Gordon Brown.

In the world of the car industry and lobby group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which successfully campaigned for the introduction of a scrappage scheme for older vehicles, has already turned its attention to beyond May 6.

It points out that the vital importance of the the motor industry to the UK's manufacturing base, and has urged the next government of whatever colour and specification to support research, development and skills training.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of the SMMT, said: "The UK motor industry has managed to sustain vital industrial capability through the recession and is now looking to exploit a strengthening economic recovery."

Hear, hear to that. The ownership of much of the UK motor industry may lie abroad, but it's still a rare jewel in our increasingly jaded manufacturing crown.

By John Hipwood