Badger fight

In the red corner, former Chief Scientific Adviser and Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Sir David "I never met a nice South African" King

In the blue corner, the Principal of Jesus Oxon., Vice President of the Royal Society, John "Son of the Cycle" Krebs Baron Krebs of Wytham

Ok, ok I'll stop with the grandstanding it was a long night trying to nurse some health into a broken switch. What am I on about? Hilary Benn's decision not to cull badgers in order to try and control bovine TB, which flies in the face of scientific advice and also follows it. The arguments are figure-headed by a an ornithological zoologist and a chemist. The former designed a series of experiments to determine the efficacy of culling and has concluded that the government should use other weapons to combat the disease. The latter had the data re-analysed and concluded a cull would be effective. Both sides of the argument are using data from the Republic of Ireland to back up their position and claiming the other side is looking at in the wrong way.

Perhaps we should cull the cattle for giving the Badger's TB in the first place?

Two scientists, both alike in dignity,
In fair Britannia, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where Badger's blood makes civil hands unclean.