Badger cull expanded

[Catherine]

This isn't so much an attempt to prevent the spread of TB as it  is an attempt to appear to be doing something about the spread of TB. The method isn't working, but at least it looks like they are doing something. They can point to a pile of dead badgers when they are asked  what progress they are making.

I suspect there are other motives for wanting to kill badgers. As you say, farmers don't like them.
The badgers are an easy unpopular scape goat that takes people's minds off the real problem. 

If TD is spreading then there must be some herd mismanagement. At one point TB was becoming a thing of the past. How is it making a comeback. They lined us up in school and tested all of us. Now parents are making choices to not use the vaccines that are available. 

If we would go back to testing of cattle and even school kids and also vaccinating badgers and cows we would get the problem under control.  As you pointed out LPC, Scotland has plenty of badgers and is TB free. They must be doing something right.