French lesson for Britain's liberal elite

Lewis Hamilton is the latest person to fall victim to the traffic cops. The F1 driver was caught travelling at 196km/h (122mph) in northern France on Sunday. That's not the interesting bit of the story, however. What I didn't know is that the speed limit on French motorways is 130km/h (85mph).

If it's good enough for the French, it's good enough for us. So if Nick Clegg really wants to mark the "beginning of Britain's liberal future", I suggest he starts by proposing an immediate increase in the speed at which we can (legally) drive on Britain's motorways.

The Tories flirted with the idea at the last general election, but it soon dropped off the radar. It's not a massive vote winner but it would be a statement of intent, especially if it came as part of a package of "liberalising" measures. 

Speaking of which, I've just had an idea. I'll get back to you tomorrow.