Ignatieff starts fight with Paul McCartney

As if the idea of the Late Show's Michael Ignatieff becoming leader of the Canadian opposition isn't enough to try and digest, he's now developed a battle with Paul McCartney over wildlife policy.

And, by wildlife policy, Canadians usually mean 'killing seals'. Ignatieff wants to be left alone to club them in peace:

"We look at the culling of deer in Scotland and wolves in Europe by farmers and find it very frustrating to see this reaction to a carefully regulated and managed cull here, which is an economic mainstay of some of the poorest communities in Canada," he said.

"Europe's inability or refusal to see the seal cull for what is smacks of hypocrisy and misunderstanding.

"Paul McCartney, I love your music - but leave the seals to the people who know them. This is not marginal to us, this is very important."

I'd love to think that McCartney is drafting a reply, wondering if "Michael, I love your novels..." would just sound sarcastic.