Overrun by the nanny state

A welcome guest at Boisdale on Tuesday was Simon Hills, associate editor of The Times Magazine. Simon has been a friend of Forest for many years and is enthusiastic about our embryonic Free Society campaign. Last year he wrote a thoughtful yet entertaining book called Strictly No!: How We're Being Overrun by the Nanny State. Unfortunately bookshops saw fit to file it under 'Humour' rather than 'Politics' where it really belonged.

Simon now has his own blog which features articles he has written for publications such as The Oldie, Compass and Esquire magazines. Exasperated by what he calls "a world gone mad", he asks:

Did you know? Blackpool Council have given donkeys Fridays off and a guaranteed lunchbreak • Britain’s prettiest village pub in Somerset was ordered to take down its hanging baskets because the council deemed them too dangerous. • In Norwich the City Council decided to fell a row of horse chestnut trees because of the dangers posed by falling conkers • And to play conkers, school children are now being forced to wear goggles • Yet 200,000 seven-year-olds cannot read • 90 per cent of crimes go unsolved • More motorists than burglars are jailed • You work 170 days of the year just paying tax • A quarter of the quarter of the population is employed by the state • In 2004 alone 260,000 people were hired in newly created state jobs? And they all want to boss you around!

Simon Hills' blog is HERE.