It may have overlapped generously with his first speech as Deputy PM, but Nick Clegg’s effort today is still a breezy read. Its subject is how the overreaching state should be pushed back
out of people’s lives. Its rhetoric is punchy and persuasive in equal measures. And there’s even a mention for that most underrated of creatures: the grey squirrel.
But it’s not just freedom and fauna; there are dashes of substance in there too. This, for instance, is something I hadn’t come across before:
A small measure, sure – but a smart one. Most councillors I know would relish the opportunity to tell central government which silly laws and regulations should be dumped from their list of responsibilities. And while many of these obscure by-laws will be fiscally insignificant, Clegg & Co.“…my colleague, Eric Pickles, will shortly be asking Councillors and Council staff to identify outmoded, outdated and obsolete secondary legislation which could be cut down to size.”
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