THIRTY ONE North West MPs who have signed an Early Day Motion calling for more parliamentary time to be spent on hunting are ridiculous and out of touch, according to the Countryside Alliance.

A NOP poll found that 98 per cent of the public think that there are more important issues for the Government to tackle than hunting.

Tom Fell, of the Countryside Alliance, said: "We will find out what local people make of their MPs' obsession with this issue at the next election when their votes will be decided not by hunting, but by delivery on health, education, immigration and crime.

"By failing to concentrate on real priorities, especially at a time when there are so many pressing domestic and international issues on the political agenda, these backbench MPs are making themselves look ridiculous and completely out of touch with ordinary people.

"For their own sake, and for people across the North West they would be well advised to concentrate on subjects about which the electorate actually cares".

Local MPs who signed the EDM were Labour MPs Peter Pike, Burnley; Hyndburn's Greg Pope; Pendle MP Gordon Prentice; and Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson.