The Small State Initiative has been created to renew ideas which contain the answers to many modern British problems.
Small State thinking has been overlooked for decades because three huge events (the banking crash, the Brexit referendum; the pandemic) distracted everyone’s attention elsewhere. And now, four current trends (an ageing society; a new AI-driven industrial revolution; growing international security risks; a changing climate) are likely to generate knee-jerk calls for more big-Government spending in future too.
That would be an enormous mistake. Our already-high taxes and Government borrowing mean there isn’t much financial firepower left. And big-Government programmes often bandage the symptoms of a problem rather than treating its underlying causes: for example our benefits system costs taxpayers billions, but poverty is still with us after 80 years of the welfare state.
The Small-State Initiative believes there’s a better way. Britain needs strong but small Government. Strong to keep everybody safe, but small because bureaucracies and quangos get fat and make mistakes unless they’re kept in check.
If we smash the glass ceilings and vested interests which prevent people from reaching their full potential, and then equip them with the skills and attitudes to grab life chances whenever they appear, more of us will be able to live proudly independent lives without needing so much help from the State.
If these ideas and approach strike a chord, you’ve come to the right place. We are collecting ideas and arguments about how to put this approach into practice, so everyone who thinks the same way can find what they need quickly and easily. Please take a look at any details which interest you, and sign up to our newsletter so we can keep you updated too!