The desire to protect their "Liberty and Livelihood" attracted over 400,000 rural protestors to London yesterday.

Although the proposed ban on hunting was prominent, the protestors were also marching over the depressed rural economy, the lingering effects of foot and mouth disease and poor public services in rural areas.

The march attracted many Conservative politicians, including Iain Duncan Smith, although ministers stayed away.

Rural affairs minister, Alun Michael, gave a series of media interviews arguing that the government was not ignoring the countryside.

"I want to nail the lie that this is a government that does not understand rural areas," he said.

Whilst he said that the scale of the march had to be recognised he expressed doubts about its purpose.

"I have to ask what it was all about. There is a muddle at the heart of the march," he said,

But John Jackson, the chairman of the Countryside Alliance, said the countryside might "erupt with fury" if the government's handling of the hunting issue was unfair.

"What form that will take I am not certain but I have no doubt about the depth of feeling," he said.

His comments came as it was revealed that Prince Charles has written to the prime minister warning that the government is paying more attention to minorities such as gays and blacks than it is to countryside people.