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Bad Laws: An Explosive Analysis of Britain's Petty Rules, Health and Safety Lunacies and Madcap Laws
Over the past thirteen years, New Labour has made us wade through a quagmire of petty rules, health and safety lunacies, madcap laws and nitpicking regulations. The author takes a stand and exposes the 'Bad Laws', those irritating laws, regulations and Whitehall idiocies that make life in Britain the day-to-day nightmare that it is today.
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 21, 2022
Some really interesting bits in here, despite there also being quite a lot I didn't agree with, and quite a lot which it was easy to see through as 'the author's personal bugbears' as opposed to being a rational and balanced exploration of the increase in nanny state type legislations over the last two or three decades in particular. I'm more towards the end of 'personal responsibility' as opposed to 'state responsibility' on balance, so there was a fair amount here I appreciated. For all the political aspects, some of the philosophical questions this posed as a consequence were more interesting.
Dated, however. A dozen years since publication, plenty felt a little irrelevent now. Some felt oddly prescient, however.
Dated, however. A dozen years since publication, plenty felt a little irrelevent now. Some felt oddly prescient, however.
October 22, 2010
This book should be read by all voters and future voters in the UK (and also other countries where Labour type governments rule).
It tells the story of corruption, stupidity, bureaucracy, law and disorder. It's about the damage governments can cause through the misguided belief that more laws equals a better society.
Bad Laws primarily covers the 13 years of Labour rule in the UK and the multitude of laws, rules and regulation introduced during that time.
The last chapter covers the huge amount of money required to maintain these laws and how we as taxpayers are forced to pay for this.
I suggest the current Conservative/Lib Dem government reads this book. In it they will find they can save billions of pounds simply by doing a clean-up and repealing these useless laws.
It tells the story of corruption, stupidity, bureaucracy, law and disorder. It's about the damage governments can cause through the misguided belief that more laws equals a better society.
Bad Laws primarily covers the 13 years of Labour rule in the UK and the multitude of laws, rules and regulation introduced during that time.
The last chapter covers the huge amount of money required to maintain these laws and how we as taxpayers are forced to pay for this.
I suggest the current Conservative/Lib Dem government reads this book. In it they will find they can save billions of pounds simply by doing a clean-up and repealing these useless laws.
February 23, 2025
This was a well written and cogently written book on the bad way too often laws are made in the UK with scant regard to trusting people, personal responsibility, freedom of choice, individual freedom and civil liberties.
It also highlights how often for the best of intentions Governments will legislate far too much to show they are doing something and it will often have unintended detrimental consequences.
I didn't agree with everything in this book and sometimes the book got bogged down in the minutae of laws, but I would still recommend it.
It also highlights how often for the best of intentions Governments will legislate far too much to show they are doing something and it will often have unintended detrimental consequences.
I didn't agree with everything in this book and sometimes the book got bogged down in the minutae of laws, but I would still recommend it.
July 28, 2015
It lost me when it said some shot about how banning fox hunting is infringing on human liberties.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews