HAS THIS GOVERNMENT LOST THE PLOT? - 21 September 2009

One wonders if this Government has lost the plot. It was reported last week that Government Ministers are considering making drivers automatically guilty if they are involved in a collision with a cyclist or a pedestrian.  Advisors are apparently also pushing to make the driver of the most powerful car automatically guilty if they are involved in a collision for insurance and compensation purposes - all to encourage us switch to more environmentally friendly forms of transport.

This comes on top of the regulations about to come into force which states that if a person is regularly giving a lift to someone else's child (regularly = 1 per month) to a club activity, football match, scouts guides, then you will have to be given new clearance to ensure that you are not a convicted pedophile. If you already have CRB checks, one is required for each organisation with which one is involved, as I understand it one still is still required to undergo the new check.

Now although most of us would agree that we need to look after our environment and ensure the protection of children, I think we might just find these new measures a step too far. If things continue at this rate we will soon we will need to have clearance to talk to children - we actually we will not be allowed to have children because of the damage they cause the environment.

This is more than the nanny state going mad. It is a result of the rise nanny jobs which have been created to keep us inline, or to protect us from things most of us would rather not be protected from. Individuals who have been appointed to these strange positions have to justify their salaries and authority. This can only be done if they come up with new rules and regulations. which get more and more stupid.

May I offer a different proposal? As the political parties are now racing to see who will tax us the most, or cut public services the fastest as a result of the nation having to borrowing so much money to keep the banks afloat, and pay bonuses, why not simply make people in such positions redundant. Simples! No more jobs worth interfering in our ability to change our own electric, plugs, and light bulbs. We could even allow our children to play conkers without goggles, or even climb a tree. No inspectors to re-educate us should be put rubbish in the wrong bin,...... oh dear am I starting to rant.

Before this government our rites were protected. Since Magna Carta, we were innocent until proven guilty until they decided to change detention laws. Why do we need to prove we are not pedophiles before giving a helping hand (almost all child abusers are family members anyway). The check will only state that I have not been found guilty up until the time of the check, anything can happen once it has been completed.

Is this Government really going to automatically find me guilty if I knock down and injure a cyclist who is jumping the red lights or if a car with a smaller engine runs into the back of me?

Come on Mr Brown the writing for you might be on the wall, but don't loose your common sense!