I HAVE never been a keen reader of literature, but as the MP for Thomas Hardy country, it has been important for me to get to grips with Thomas Hardy’s work. Not least because what he wrote has a relevance to today, especially about young people, class difference and how he pushed the boundaries quite a bit with some unsayable realities of the day.

Our young people are simply finding it increasingly difficult to settle here in West Dorset. This is one of the main reasons why I continue to oppose initiatives such as a national park for Dorset – a concept which has been proven to drive young people away through high living costs and reduced prospects for quality employment.

It is for this reason that we also need to get west Dorset on the map. We have had three ministers visit in recent weeks: International Trade, Tourism and Digital Connectivity, with a purpose of improving our services and getting good employment for young people.

Going back to ‘unsayable realities’, whilst the efforts of our most caring and hard-working livestock farmers are undermined continually by metropolitan corporate monoliths looking to ‘greenwash’ their companies, non-stun slaughter, one of the most barbaric practices imaginable continues to be inflicted on many of our cows and sheep to this day.

Rather than rendering an animal unconscious in an instant to spare them as much pain as possible, some are left with all senses intact to bleed to their death in agony. No farmer has any wish to send an animal they have reared and looked after to meet a fate like this.

It is great that we have made progress on cruelty to animals and a lot of people are moved when it comes to cats and dogs, but whilst the real injustices are known about, a blind eye is turned, and we need to do something about it.

CHRIS LODER

WEST DORSET MP