Know your place!

Governments are there to decide policy and to pass laws - if they can - to give effect to that policy.  Other than by those means, they have no authority to tell us how to behave.  MPs and ministers are of course entitled to their opinions and they are equally entitled to express them, but we in our turn are entitled to ignore them. Why am I making this point?  Because there is an increasing tendency recently for government ministers to seem to think that they speak from some sort of moral high ground and that they have the right to dictate our behaviour.  It is now being seriously suggested for instance that on the grounds of "fairness" people have a moral responsibility to pay more tax than they legally need to, and the Work and Pensions Secretary is suggesting that "well-off" pensioners should pay back benefits they do not need, like winter fuel allowances, free bus passes and TV licences.  On your bike, says I - if you want to change the law to produce those results, then do it - if you can.  Other than that, speak to the hand!