Dear Ed, I THOUGHT the appointment of our Poplar & Canning Town MP Jim Fitzpatrick as Minister for Food and Farming worth a mention. That is, of course, as long as the food does not include meat, as I am afraid to report that Jim is a vegetarian!

Dear Ed,

I THOUGHT the appointment of our Poplar & Canning Town MP Jim Fitzpatrick as Minister for Food and Farming worth a mention. That is, of course, as long as the food does not include meat, as I am afraid to report that Jim is a vegetarian!

No cosy photo opportunities with the minister sampling 'the best of British meat,' then.

Just how this leaves British meat farmers feeling is not yet certain, although it again appears to be a misjudged shun by Labour to British farming industry.

I suppose it's nothing to do with the fact that Labour hold few rural seats in the region, of course. Moving a veggie to the Department for Food is really like putting a member of CND in charge of Britain's nuclear deterrence.

As so many of his ministers have walked out on him, maybe the besieged Gordon Brown had no other option than to reach down to his inner city and the loyal member for Poplar & Canning Town.

Jim assures us on his website that he promotes the East End of London. Just how he can do this by accepting a rural job is unclear.

Something tells me Jimmy boy has been ordered to keep up appearances for the few final months of this very beleaguered government.

Matthew Vaughan

Saunders Ness Road, Cubitt Town, Isle of Dogs