According to the government's own bovine-tb-impact-assessment, the public costs of carrying out the cull exceed any money saved from predicted falls in bovine TB (an average 16% reduction in new cases over nine years - in absolute figures, this amounts to preventing 47 out of 292 infected herds, for an area about half the size of the Gloucestershire pilot zone).

BBC: Analysis: The battle over brock

In absolute numbers the figures for casualties are, for the moment, manageable.

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Meanwhile Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams accused Welsh ministers of failing to address the issue, calling the figures an "absolute disgrace".

BBC: Ambulance delays: Wales targets missed in every area

Many public figures have failed pretty dramatically, but through employing the seven key abilities of absolute perseverance, these people were able to move beyond failure.

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