STATISTICS DESTROY OUR FREEDOMS.

In recent days we've been told that Governments must do various intrusive things in order to save our lives. Amongst these has been the proposed banning of smoking in cars in which children are travelling, a suggestion that e-cigarettes should be banned or, at least, controlled, and a plan to make cigarette manufacturers use a generic form of packaging smothered in nasty pictures and slogans. In support of all of these measures, our political masters claim that hundreds, if not thousands of lives will be saved.

When I was a young squab, I was taught the old adage that "there's lies, damned lies and statistics". Sadly, today's politicians bombard us with statistics in their misguided efforts to bamboozle us all into accepting their paternalistic approach to government. With no real supporting evidence, they merrily claim that killing all badgers will save 100 lives or that banning cars will save a million. They are, of course, merely spouting the bogus statistics provided to them by compliant supporters of whatever measure they want to impose on us and those opposed to the plans can quite easily produce contrary figures to support their side of the argument. All-in-all, it is all nonsense.

Time and again, we are forced to accept restrictions on our freedoms by the government's use of manufactured statistics. People are frightened into accepting bans on everything and anything by the torrent of worthless numbers thrown at them. Over a period of years and decades, the people have been worn down and now seem to accept almost every restriction that governments of whatever hue wish to impose. Theoretically, our country is a democracy but, in reality we have no freedom and our democracy is a sham; come what may, the main political parties will have things their way, whatever the people really want, believe or would believe if they had the true facts. Of course, they are never allowed to see the true facts unless these support the objectives of the party in question and, even then, the facts may well be dressed up to put the best possible gloss on them.

Why is it that we let this happen ? Why do the people not stand up and fight ? The simple answer is that in this poor, tired old country, now rapidly filling up with hordes of foreigners, we can't be bothered. Anyone who can still be bothered has their own simple answer - VOTE Ukip.

BAN DOGS, NOT SMOKING IN CARS !

Today it's been reported that yet another child has been attacked and killed by a dog. This time, an 11 month old girl has been mauled to death in her bed by a supposed pet, which has since been destroyed.

Yesterday, our political masters voted to introduce a ban on smoking in any car in which a child is travelling. Today, the government has made it clear that such a ban, almost entirely unenforced and unenforceable, will be brought into effect in the near future and that contravention will be treated as criminal activity.

One has to wonder why it is that our politicians prefer to involve themselves in controlling the most minor aspects of our lives while ignoring far more serious issues. While cigarette smoke may be unhealthy and even lead to some irritation of the airways, no child has ever knowingly died from its effects; indeed, other than the contentious case of Roy Castle, no one has ever been known to die as a consequence of so-called 'passive smoking'.

Conversely, many people are attacked by dogs every year and some, mostly children, are killed. Our politicians have made half-hearted efforts to control so-called 'dangerous dogs', while ignoring the blatantly obvious fact that ALL dogs are potentially dangerous. They are basically wild animals which live by hunting, killing and eating other animals; they can, and do, carry an assortment of nasty diseases. We forget these facts at our peril.

So there we have it. While dangerous, and sometimes lethal, animals are allowed, and even encouraged, to roam freely amongst us, the government proposes to make criminals of anyone who dares to smoke in a car carrying children, an offence of no proven threat to life at all. Is it any wonder that the electorate are disenchanted with politics and politicians ?

BAN SMOKING !!

Representatives of the Labour Party, and many others who believe that they know best and should set the rules that the rest of us must follow, are at it again.

It's reported today that Labour Peers in the House of Lords are to table an amendment to the "Children and Families Bill" which would make it illegal for anyone to smoke in a car in which children are also travelling. The Labour Party has also said that if the amendment is not supported, they will include such a proposal in their manifesto for the next election.

I am no supporter of smoking, which I see as being a dirty, smelly, addictive and unhealthy habit. If it was truly banned tomorrow, so be it, but the way in which governments keep tinkering with the law surrounding it is pointless and stupid. Should the Labour Lords get their way with this latest piece of nonsense, it will introduce yet another largely unenforced and unenforceable law into the vast array of madcap social legislation which already exists. How on earth will the police monitor offenders ? How many offenders will ever be caught ? What penalties will they suffer ? Will this be another money making scheme for local councils to exploit, with excessive fixed penalties for the handful of miscreants who are captured, while the vast majority of offenders go unnoticed and unpunished ?

When we have so many much more pressing problems, how is it that our masters can find so much time for the pursuit of such nonsense ?