Society v. the state

It’s always a pleasure to hear Will Hutton on the radio, the perfect antidote to the idea that the battle in politics is over. He justified inheritance tax on the basis that “society” deserves a slice of other people’s savings: of course, he meant the government. To me, the dividing line is between society and the government. On the one hand, communities – people doing the best for their families and neighbours: on the other, the looters – mistrustful of the public and hungry for the fruits of their labour.

David Cameron stood up for society last week and it shook Labour to the core. As he says, there is such a thing as society – it’s just not the same thing as the state. The public is well up for this debate. And as we all know by now, Gordon Brown isn’t.