Morrissey Says 'Killing a Stag is Like Killing a Child'

Morrissey has spoken out against Prime Minister David Cameron's hunting past. The vegan singer, who has joined former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr in condemning Cameron, equated killing a stag to the killing of a child.

Describing Cameron's patronage as a "mystery," Morrissey told BBC Radio 4's 'Front Row' program, that he'd have a hard time opening his dressing room door if the PM came calling. Morrissey said (via the Telegraph), "I don't think I would. It's a moral issue. Killing a stag is like killing a child. What's the difference?''

The Smiths-Cameron debate was originally initiated four years ago when the then Conservative Party leader selected 'This Charming Man' as part of his 'Desert Island Discs' selection. Marr was the first to distance himself from the PM. He tweeted earlier this year, "Stop saying that you like The Smiths, no you don't. I forbid you to like it."

Asked if he was in tune with Marr's views, Morrissey said, "I am indeed because David Cameron is a hunter and he kills stag, and so forth, and that's everything the Smiths were against."

The type of fan the Smiths continue to attract never fails to surprise the singer. He explained, "Sometimes you see people whom you would least expect to be interested in it and they have a lifestyle which is everything that you oppose. And yet they're very influenced by something you've done. And you think 'well, how does it connect, where's the connection?'"

The 51-year-old concluded, "When you make music you're very happy that anybody listens, whoever they may be, but somebody with such an extreme lifestyle as David Cameron, killing stags as I say as a hobby, sport, you're mystified -- you just can't see how it joins."

Watch the Video to the Smiths' 'This Charming Man'