More Government Stupidity

Just when you thought the government couldn't get any more stupid - it does just that! Not only is the level of stupidity increasing but the rate of it as well. Two significant items this week within a day or two of each other......

1. The government appoints expert scientific advisors and then not only ignores their advice but actually sacks them for having the cheek to give it. Alan Johnson the Home Secretary, on sacking the head of the government's Drug Advisory Committee, said "I have lost confidence in him". What he meant was, "I have sacked him because he said the opposite of what I wanted him to say". But if the Government already know what answer they want and what action they are going to take, why bother to have an advisory committee at all? Could it be, Alan Johnson, that if this is the attitude you are going to take, the public has lost confidence in you. Just remember that MPs are supposed to exist to represent the will of the people ......... and that the will of the people is based on facts and common sense not political dogma.

2. Two very disturbing articles in the Times about the effects of the new Independent Safeguarding Authority .....
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6898127.ece
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6898212.ece

One of my favourite poems (because it is so short I can actually remember it) is by Steve Turner -
History repeats itself.
Has to.
Nobody listens!
The government are not immune to this failure to learn lessons from history. They seem hell bent on taking us back to the Stalinist era of Russia when nobody could do anything unless the government said they could. In this country we have fought long and hard for democratic freedoms but now the government is slowly (or in some instances not so slowly) unpicking all this and reverting to ultimate state control ....... of everything. This sort of thing resulted in Revolution in Russia (and in other countries where it has been tried) and it can only be a matter of time before it happens here.

We are supposedly still a Christian country. The Queen is the head of the Church of England and we still have "Her Majesty's Government". So why the discrepancy?? One of the main commands of the Christian religion (and many other religions too I believe) is "Love your neighbour". Yet the government seems determined to put every obstacle possible in the way of people doing that. But who is the first organisation to bewail the breakdown of society as we know it in this country?? ........ that self same government! On the basis of the above, the law bringing this ridiculous scheme into being is almost certainly "ultra vires" and probably contrary to the Human Rights Act. I shall certainly ignore it and I suggest everyone else does the same. If nobody co-operates the scheme will have to fail. in addition to the ethics and common sense of the scheme, it is a horrendous waste of money. On one hand the government is saying we are in a terrible financial situation and must all tighten our belts and cut back spending, and on the other they are inventing new quangos, to carry out a function that nobody wants, will cost them money, and which will be completely ineffective anyway.

When the next election comes round I will drag the doorstep candidates indoors and not let them go until until I have a written assurance that, if elected, they will do all in their power to get this iniquitous law repealed.

Safeguarding - or revenue making?

The world hasn't got any saner since I've been away on holiday. The latest bad idea to hit the headlines is the Independent Safeguarding Authority, the body set up to register anyone who wants to work with children or vulnerable adults. It will shortly be an offence for anyone to work with these groups unless they are registered with this body!

When will the Government stop interfering with everyone's lives and just trust us to manage our own affairs? This stupid idea apparently sprung from the murder of two schoolgirls by a school caretaker. Nasty occurence, obviously, but exactly how is this kneejerk reaction going to prevent such cases? Even the policeman who was involved in the case can see no sense in this suggested solution www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6834544.ece

Instead of identifying future murderers and paedophiles, all this is going to do is make a lot of unneccessary work for everyone and cost a fortune to administer. While the Government looks one way and asks for suggestions on how to cut public spending, its alter-ego looks the other way and sets up an expensive and completely ineffective quango. All this will show is whether or not the person being vetted has been caught before. Anyone who is any good at being a murderer or a pervert won't have been caught and won't have a record. I am convinced this is simply a very poorly disguised way of raising more taxes (I understand it will cost £64 to become registered. The requirement will apply to millions of people ...... that's , err....... quite a lot of money, thank you very much.
How many undesirables will it catch? ......... I would venture to suggest probably none.

I am sure I have said it here before, but I'll say it again. Every government department and every local government authority should employ a "Common Sense Officer" to vet all political decisions before they are put into practice. This seems to me to be the only way to stop the country completely disappearing down the plug hole!