Ex-MP Rory Stewart was talking about why he came into and left politics. He travelled in Afghanistan when you’d have thought to do so was certain death. He saw a majority there living in absolute poverty. Returning to the UK, he saw a majority living in unimaginable (to those Afghans) luxury; but a minority in squalor, prisons full of the illiterate, immigrants and scroungers blamed for all woes. Problem is, to stay in government you need to keep a majority of the majority on side. So best intentions, to effect change and ‘make a difference’, soon disappear in every generation of politicians. Cheer up, everyone. At least we don’t live in America.
Happy Days are here again?
The ’70s were for my coming-of-age time, as they were for Stuart Maconie, author of ‘The Nanny State Made Me’. It’s when I took my 0 and A Levels, went to uni and started my first job. My view of the decade will always be rose-tinted, I’ll remember the music, discos, student grants (wouldn’t have known what a tuition fee was) and monthly inflationary pay rises negotiated by unions of which I was not a member. The strikes, high taxes and IRA bombs were background noise to me and, yes, I was the first in my family to go to university and, yes, despite everything, felt more secure with a nanny state in charge than at any time since. I’d happily pay more tax to give my kids and grandkids the same.
