Politicians Have Hyperfocused on Minutiae
8 May 2024
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In the Media
Economics
Economic Theory
11 November 2024
Christopher Snowdon writes for The Critic
IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon has written for The Critic highlighting politicians’ tendency to obsess over intervening in small, harmless aspects of every day life while ignoring big, important challenges.
Christopher wrote:
“This systemic addiction to changing the subject means that nothing useful ever gets done. Small-c conservatives sometimes ask why large-c Conservatives are not spending their last months in government passing legislation that will push the country to the right and make life more difficult for an incoming Labour government. The answer is (a) they don’t want to, and (b) they haven’t got time because Parliament is clogged up with things like regulating rickshaws in London.
“When they reflect on their legacy from the opposition benches next year, Tory MPs will be able to boast that although no new nuclear power station has opened since 1995, it is now against the law to use a debit card to buy a lottery ticket. More than six million people will be on NHS waiting lists but at least every child will have to learn maths until they are 18. After decades of deliberation, Heathrow airport will still have no third runway, but it will be illegal to ‘induce’ a cat to follow you down the street. They will console themselves with the knowledge that although they were not always competent in their years in power, at least they were busy.”
Read Christopher’s full piece here.
Christopher wrote:
“This systemic addiction to changing the subject means that nothing useful ever gets done. Small-c conservatives sometimes ask why large-c Conservatives are not spending their last months in government passing legislation that will push the country to the right and make life more difficult for an incoming Labour government. The answer is (a) they don’t want to, and (b) they haven’t got time because Parliament is clogged up with things like regulating rickshaws in London.
“When they reflect on their legacy from the opposition benches next year, Tory MPs will be able to boast that although no new nuclear power station has opened since 1995, it is now against the law to use a debit card to buy a lottery ticket. More than six million people will be on NHS waiting lists but at least every child will have to learn maths until they are 18. After decades of deliberation, Heathrow airport will still have no third runway, but it will be illegal to ‘induce’ a cat to follow you down the street. They will console themselves with the knowledge that although they were not always competent in their years in power, at least they were busy.”
Read Christopher’s full piece here.
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