The Bully State

Nanny's health Nazis are on the march. Having won the battle to stop smoking in public places, Nanny is now keen to push on and interfere in all manner of everyday activities.

Nanny gave warning of her intentions in a report by the once well-respected Nuffield Council of Bioethics. The report concludes that Nanny and industry are not doing enough to prevent binge drinking or obesity, and should promote healthy lifestyles through stricter measures and deterrents.

The authors are a group of doctors, lawyers, philosophers and other "experts". They propose that the Nanny state should be replaced by "stewardship", ie government interference.

Lord Krebs, who chaired the report committee, said:

"People often reject the idea of a nanny state

but the Government has a duty to look after

the health of everyone and sometimes

that means guiding or restricting our choices."

Read that again, Krebs wants the state to restrict our choices for our own good!

Krebs went on to say that the central concept of stewardship differed from the Nanny state, by being "more sensitive to the balances between public good and individual freedom".

The report concludes:

"The stewardship model provides justification

for the UK Government to introduce measures

that are more coercive than those which

currently feature in the National Alcohol Strategy."

The report also says that smoking should be banned in people's homes.

Precisely how do they intend to enforce that I wonder?

This comes hot on the heals of Alcohol Concern, a new lobby group being launched. This body claims to be a charity, but is in fact funded by the state and is an organ of the EU.

Given Krebs's German ancestry I am surprised he has put his name to such a report, the aims of which strikingly resemble the policies of Nazi Germany. The Nazis taught that you owe it to the state to look after yourself, as the state owns your body not the individual.

Krebs is not much of a fan of democracy, as he has voted in only 3% of votes in parliament — well below average amongst the Lords.

This report is the precursor to health care being offered and available only to those who comply with Nanny's rules on diet, drinking, smoking and lifestyle.