Big Government v. Small Government?
I recently heard Baroness Warsi explaining why she’s still a Tory despite hating most things about the current government. She explained that she was a Tory because she believed in small government (I think she used the term small state) and believed in individual hard work, taking personal responsibility, etc. etc. I know similar views have been expressed on SL a fair few times.
This set me thinking about the role of government. I believe in all the things she referred to, such as hard work, families and communities helping themselves, but I think the idea of small government is something of a myth. And used at election time in a dishonest way. The last few Tory governments have been anything but ‘hands off’. As an example, they have encouraged such things as free schools, run outside of the state system, whilst simultaneously interfering in education like never before.
Can we ever truly have a small state?
This set me thinking about the role of government. I believe in all the things she referred to, such as hard work, families and communities helping themselves, but I think the idea of small government is something of a myth. And used at election time in a dishonest way. The last few Tory governments have been anything but ‘hands off’. As an example, they have encouraged such things as free schools, run outside of the state system, whilst simultaneously interfering in education like never before.
Can we ever truly have a small state?
