and has become the symbol of the fight for a fair price from retailers for milk.

Mr Kawczynski, pictured, said: “Buttercup is a hardworking cow producing 7,000 litres of milk a year. She’s very proud of the high quality and versatility of her milk.

“She can’t believe that her milk today is worth less than milk produced by her great grandmother 20 years ago, yet the costs associated with producing that milk have escalated over the same period.

“What really upsets Buttercup is the 5p a litre increase the public have had to pay since the spring while she receives less for her milk.”

The Shrewsbury & Atcham MP added worryingly: “She needs a 4p a litre increase for her milk now as she fears she may not see spring 2007 – ending up as a beefburger in the same supermarket that now sells her milk.”

****

Mr Kawczynski took part in a Little and Large fringe meeting on Tuesday when the 6ft 7in MP lined up alongside the diminutive Ann Widdecombe to argue for a reduction in the legal limit for abortion.

****

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson spoke at a road safety fringe meeting on Monday, setting out some radical proposals for improving drivers’ behaviour.

The shadow transport minister would like to see a little more carrot brought into the way the Government, police and courts treat British motorists.

“At the moment, it’s all stick, with penalty points on your licence eventually adding up to a disqualification,” he said.

Mr Paterson’s idea involves awarding plus points for good driving practice – for not contravening the law over a period of years.

The points would be added up so that drivers could get a bronze, silver and then gold award which would then be used to cut insurance premiums.

He also favours a more progressive approach to the motoring education of young people, with new drivers limited as to the time of day they could take to the public highway and restrictions on the power of the vehicles they can drive.

“At the moment, you pass your test and you’re supposed to know it all. I hadn’t had a lesson for years until I recently started an advanced motorists’ course,” said Mr Paterson.

The Shropshire MP also has first-hand knowledge that young drivers need a lot of tuition. His 18-year-old son, Ned, failed his driving test “rather spectacularly” this summer.

“He’s got plenty to learn,” said Mr Paterson.

****

Philip Dunne joined the Liberal Democrats on Tuesday, but South Shropshire Tories shouldn’t panic.

The Ludlow MP appeared at a fringe meeting arranged by the Lib Dems to debate the future of taxation – and tax-cut pledges in particular.

He admitted that it was a pleasant change to debate directly with Lib Dem candidates “having spent my entire political career fighting Liberal Democrats in elections”.

****

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard didn’t make it to the conference in Bournemouth, concentrating on constituency engagements instead.

But his presence was felt in the hall when shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley made his keynote conference speech on Monday.

Mr Lansley’s declaration that “the State makes bad parents” could have come straight out of a chapter written by Mr Pritchard for a new book, The Forgotten, which was launched on Tuesday in Bournemouth.

The book is made up of contributions from Tory MPs elected to the Commons last year for the first time.

Mr Pritchard decided he would not be pressing for royalties if Mr Lansley had been pinching his lines.

Mr Dunne also contributed a chapter to The Forgotten, pointing out that the global diabetes epidemic is responsible for more deaths than HIV/Aids around the world.

****

Journalists were unsure how to spell the name of Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, who made a speech during the economy debate on Tuesday.

The answer, of course, was simple: Google it.

John Hipwood is the Shropshire Star’s Political Editor, based at Westminster

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