The rotten state of Britain

Dr Eamonn Butler, director of the Adam Smith Institute and an old friend of Forest, has a new book - The Rotten State of Britain - out today.

"Back in 1995," says Eamonn, "Will Hutton created a sensation with his The State We're In, which shredded the record of the Thatcher-Major years. But everything he objected to – sleaze, spin, centralisation, a politicised civil service, a weak Parliament, police and services that chase targets rather the helping the public – is now very much worse.

"My book produces a battery of examples that expose how rotten things have become. Politics, the economy, public services, society, values – I cover the lot. I show how and why power has become centralised and no longer accountable. How our rights and democratic institutions have been swept away, leaving us defenceless against our leaders. And why they think that spying on us and bullying us is not merely acceptable, but a moral imperative."

Eamonn has also written an article for The Free Society in which he argues:

I don’t think the problem is that our leaders want to control our every move. I think they believe they need wide powers to combat terrorism, and that they are good people who will use those powers responsibly. But give politicians and officials unlimited powers, and they will use them – or abuse them. That is precisely why the power of our leaders must be limited.

Full article HERE.

See also: A Labour-made crisis (Guardian, March 5, 2009) and The Rotten Police State of Britain (ConservativeHome, March 1, 2009).

The Rotten State of Britain (Gibson Square Books) is available HERE on Amazon and from Waterstone's.

Comments

[Basil Brown]

I don’t think the problem is that our leaders want to control our every move. I think they believe they need wide powers to combat terrorism, and that they are good people who will use those powers responsibly. ..."

I cannot share Dr. Butler's charitable assessment of nulabor's motives for stealing our liberties. Again and again, they have proved they are interfering vindictive bullies with historic grudges to settle via their legislative program. Cowards as well, for they never accept responsibility for the entirely predictable "unintended consequences" of their extraordinary decisions. These are always someone else's fault and seem to require even more draconian legislation in order to "fix".

Ian Parker-Joseph writes:

"In a stunning conversation with a friend, who is a serving member of the Armed Forces, over the weekend, it was revealed that transfers to regiments and other units in the UK on home duties are being undertaken by the MOD based upon whether an individual was prepared to 'open fire' on UK citizens during civil disturbances."

Oo-err. A cynical soul might think they're trying to provoke mass-rioting, thus providing a handy anti-terror excuse to cancel that election.

[ann]

It seems to me that nulabour has already adopted the modis operandi of the EU and is gearing itself up to be their counterpart and help them on their way to control the whole of europe, in the same big brother way that they are controlling britain in their unelected and unaccountable way.
It has already been reported that the same unelected and unaccountable lot in Brussels are making millions on wages, expenses and pensions.
Why wouldnt they fight a war to hang on to that gravy train.