IT’S A CURIOUS fact that, while the labrador was developed and established as a breed in Britain, it is not generally regarded as a British breed. Perhaps it’s the name that causes the confusion, for it suggests that the founders of the breed came from Labrador, whereas most historians point to Newfoundland as the country of origin. It is known that the first dogs imported to Britain were brought here by Portuguese fishermen, and the Portuguese word for worker is trabalhador, which might well have been corrupted into ‘labrador’.
Today the labrador is the most popular breed of gundog on the planet, appearing in most countries’ top 10 breeds and usually heading the list in several, including the UK and the USA. Frustratingly, we can’t claim this as a British success, though it clearly is. However, even if we exclude the labrador, Britain can be proud of having established the majority of the world’s leading gundog breeds. Of course, most gundogs never go shooting but it is a testament to the quality of their breeding that they make such fine companions, which is why they are so popular.
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Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
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