Not completely cuckoo?

It would seem that the Swiss have very few hobbies, and none of the top-notch reality TV that we in the UK enjoy.

Certainly they appear completely, utterly unable to find things to do with their spare time.

This week, for example, they've gone to the polls - the referendum polls - to vote on a proposal to .. wait for it ... introduce a nationwide system of state-funded lawyers to represent animals in court.

What? Yup.

Easy to see how a lawyer would be happy - neigh, delighted - to represent an animal in court. After all, guilty or innocent; fish, fowl or good red herring; it's all in a day's fees for those Legal Beagles.

And Switzerland already has some of the strictest animal welfare legislation in the world. Pigs, budgies, goldfish and other social animals cannot be kept alone; horses and cows must have regular exercise outside in summer and winter; and dog owners have to take training courses to learn how to care for their pets.

But 'state-funded'? What the fuck? Taxpayers should be covering Fido's legal costs?

Fortunately, the majority of the chocolate-munching gnomes have their heads screwed on correctly: the measure was rejected by around 70% of voters - and the government opposed the idea.

So, common sense prevails in the land of the multi-function penknife and the Nazi gold.

But hang a minute. The Swiss can have these referendums, can choose their own destiny, because they're not part of any other, larger super-state. Like, say, the bloody European Union.

How long, do you think, before very similar laws are inflicted upon us, via the Lisbon Treaty, from Brussels, without us getting any say-so at all?

Six months, tops.

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