The Conservative love affair with petty prohibitionism

[Barman]

Brilliant article by Christopher Snowdon today in The Spectator

[Uncle Mort]

We used to complain of government planning as being short term; no further than five years ahead. Now we have reactive planning. Oddly, I was going to stat a thread on a similar subject, that of a legislature driven by'loved' ones who's suffered a loss, the so called <enter name of victim> law.

It's a government that's driven by the need to stay in power. Every popular idea, often driven by the media, is taken up. 'Proper' government goes by the wayside. 

[Barman]

We used to complain of government planning as being short term; no further than five years ahead. Now we have reactive planning. Oddly, I was going to stat a thread on a similar subject, that of a legislature driven by'loved' ones who's suffered a loss, the so called <enter name of victim> law.

It's a government that's driven by the need to stay in power. Every popular idea, often driven by the media, is taken up. 'Proper' government goes by the wayside.

I know, it has been a disaster... 

See also: Doreen Lawrence... 

[Steve]

Brilliant article by Christopher Snowdon today in The Spectator

Good read thought provoking read thanks but I'm not sure I agree with his main point.

We could just have one law saying 'don't be a bad person' but then the courts would be endlessly tied up arguing what that meant and the risk would be there of what China and others do of convicting political protestors on such a law.

Do I want people that sell and cook dog meat to be imprisoned in the UK?  Yes and legislation shouldn't wait until it's a serious issue.

But on those 'ban power showers etc' type rules I'm fully with him.  If we really don't want people using a lot of water they're paying a fair price for then tax water and best of luck getting elected with such a plan.

As for shop workers the problem isn't the lack of a law it's lack of police, sentencing and jail cells to make real deterrents.