MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: 'Marine A' deserves our mercy By Mail On Sunday Comment Alexander Blackman's undoubted misdeeds could not possibly be ignored by the authorities Politicians start wars, and often gain votes from victory. If things go wrong, they seldom suffer much. Sometimes they even prosper. Soldiers, by contrast, die, are maimed or otherwise damaged in conflicts they never chose. And, while governments give their troops a wide licence to kill when things are going well, they back away in exaggerated horror if any individual in the ranks is caught breaking the laws of war. This is the nasty paradox that has engulfed "Marine A" - Sergeant Alexander Blackman. His undoubted misdeeds on the battlefield were recorded on camera and could not possibly be ignored by the authorities of any law-governed country. And so Sgt Blackman has been convicted of murder and been sentenced to serve at least ten years in prison. This is both just and unjust. The letter of the law has been followed. But what about its spirit? In today's poll for the Mail on Sunday, an overwhelming majority of the public say he has been unfairly treated. Yet there has been silence on this subject from serving members of the Government. So Sir Gerald Howarth, a former Defence Minister, showed courage by calling for a more lenient sentence. We must remain within the law. It is what we stand for. But there is almost always room within that law for flexibility and mercy. UKIP's new buffoon Victoria Ayling obviously knew she was wrong when she blurted out her crude "send the lot back" sentiments at a private recording session. She still said the words. And what a lot of ironies follow. Is she now in trouble for saying what she (presumably) really thinks? But isn't that what we always say we want our politicians to do? Or is she to be condemned for keeping her real views secret from the voters? But isn't that what spin doctors are always telling their bosses to do? Victoria Ayling obviously knew she was wrong when she blurted out her crude 'send the lot back' sentiments Her real problem (as so often in such matters) is that she was caught. Now she has been, should the Tories or UKIP be more embarrassed about it? Both look foolish. She was a Tory when she spoke the offending sentence, and came within 714 votes of being one of David Cameron's MPs. Now she has defected to Nigel Farage, who may regret calling her "talented and experienced." He may also regret his party's complacent declaration that it will "support her through this time." UKIP rightly says it cannot search the detailed pasts of every councillor, but by its nature it attracts - and tolerates - more than its fair share of buffoons. The more it succeeds, the more of these foot-in-mouth episodes we shall see. A vital pet project We have long supported the RSPCA with goodwill and money. The society has a huge income, more than £44 million from donations and contributions, and £60 million from legacies. So it is not just sad but puzzling that it has quietly stopped helping to reunite owners with their lost or missing pets free of charge, urging them instead to use a commercial website. Apart from fulfilling a basic need, and comforting the distressed, the cancelled service was a good way of showing gratitude to the society's army of willing donors. Killing it off was a haughty and thoughtless mistake. Reviving it would be a wise move.