We did it, not the state
Sir: I am not a social historian but surely Liam Byrne fatally undermines his whole argument when he praises the founding of various organisations and movements 150 years ago to deal with the ‘huge change which swept millions from the countryside to the cities’ (‘Give us back our Big Idea, Mr Cameron’, 16 August). Isn’t the whole point that the state did not do this — individuals and groups did? Less state interference allows individuals and groups to help their communities and Britain as a whole rather than being strangled by the red tape, form-filling and box-ticking so beloved by Liam Byrne and New Labour. Clearly Mr Byrne hasn’t been on enough doorsteps recently — if he had he would know that any politician arguing for less government will be greeted with relief and enthusiasm.
Nicky Morgan
Loughborough Conservative parliamentary spokesman, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Shear delight
Sir: I have no connection with the Big Sheep, Bideford, other than as a visitor, but I feel bound to counter the negative impression given by Rachel Johnson’s Diary (23 August), in which she and her family ‘drove for two hours to watch a sheepdog herd three ewes’. This is very unfair. My husband and I took our two boys of eight and 11 there last week and saw not only the sheepdog demonstration but also a display of sheep-shearing, a sheep show featuring different breeds, a dog herding Indian runner ducks and the Big Sheep Grand National, all presented in an informative yet amusing and child-friendly way. Should the appeal of all things ovine pall, there is a combat laser-shooting area, pets corner, horse whispering, pony rides, ceramic painting and a huge indoor play area with giant slides. Our sons had a fabulous time.
I can’t imagine why Rachel Johnson’s family failed to see any of the above.
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