This article by Ffinian Elliott first appeared in Conservative Home
When one visits Washington D.C., the buildings that symbolise the kind of democracy fitting of a modern republic have a common theme.
Their buildings are much like castles, fortified to the extreme, both for legitimate safety concerns, but also as a symbol of strength of their democratic institutions. As the Rotunda of the Capitol pierces the sky, it does so with an upper structure made of cast iron weighing approximately 4,500 tons, and The White House is guarded closely by specially trained marksmen on the rooftop.
Comparatively, the institutions of British democracy seem weak; Downing Street feels close and cornered and frequently receives complaints about the antiquated skeleton that still haunts its staff today. The Palace of Westminster is quite literally crumbling away, with eroding masonry and outdated facilities, and is at high risk of fire damage.
There is a point to this comparison: it seems that, when it comes to democratic institutions, like magnets, opposites attract. Many leading think tanks in D.C., such as the Heritage Foundation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, or Advancing American Freedom, have their main mission as reducing government interference in individuals’ lives. Whilst our Government tangos with the idea of banning car washes, D.C.’s sprinklers spray ever more and its fountains remain brimming.
Perhaps this is no accident, but a reflection of something much deeper.
When America’s founders built their institutions, they weren’t simply the masons but also the authors who wrote them in and the carpenters who fenced them in, binding them with a constitution that makes clear what a government must not do. Their power is meant to be fixed, constrained, and carefully managed. By contrast, Britain’s constitution is an increasingly flexible rubber band whose limits of elasticity grow ever vaguer. When there is no document that states ‘thus far and no further’, it’s no surprise when the Government attempts to cross this blurred line.
The Labour Party are consistently banging on about wanting to stay out of people’s lives, but wanting is not the same as doing. As clearly demonstrated by the use of our emergency alert system to warn people not to make hot dogs, an official Cabinet Office report rightly warns that overuse of the system will undermine public confidence in it. Given that over two-thirds of Britons do not have confidence in the competence of our Government, it would be advisable that Burnham’s Cabinet focus squarely on regaining the trust of the public, not chancing it.
It doesn’t end with just this official report. Campaigners have warned that the unexpected alert put at risk the victims of domestic abuse who hide secret phones to protect themselves. Given this, our emergency alert system, a system intended to protect and save lives, could have put some in danger.
And in the name of what, precisely? If an individual is truly intent on having a barbecue, they will have one, and an emergency alert will do little to prevent that. Of course, nobody would rightly defend one who chooses a disposable barbecue over the safety of their fellow neighbours, but at the same time, we must ask ourselves the question, ‘Is it right to ban them?’
Once again, a reactionary position has been taken within Whitehall that does little to help the public and instead pours petrol on the fire of malaise that plagues it. Amongst the top priorities for most Britons, whether it’s cheap energy, more disposable income, or less tax on their cars, one theme is common: everyone wants their life to be easier.
We already lead complex lives, and our phones becoming direct broadcast receivers of Government communications is the cherry on the cake. We have a Government that promises to stay out of our lives and yet beams messages to our pockets warning against flame-grilling a steak. We have the Mother of Parliaments, and yet it sits in a building riddled with rats and leaks. We have a society that should champion safety on the streets, and yet our terrorist threat level increases whilst Downing Street sits alarmingly close to these streets.
Although we pride ourselves on not becoming ‘Americanised’, perhaps we ought to take this particular leaf out of their book. Let’s reverse the roles of the state. Let’s properly refurbish our Parliament, keep our government buildings safe, but our government deliberately weak. Whether they’re arresting people for mean tweets, forcing electric-car drivers to pay for each mile they drive, or even just warning people not to use a barbecue, stronger citizens need a smaller government, and we need it now.
Stronger Citizens is the Centre for Small State Conservatives in-house magazine where we feature thought-provoking ideas from high-quality thinkers who share our approach.
Ffinian Elliott is one of our own – a Director of the Centre for Small State Conservatives.
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