The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die,
but to enjoy yourself and live.

I just spent a most enjoyable and productive evening with South Bucks National Farmers’ Union, which followed a recent visit to a local farm.

Discussing farming in Buckinghamshire

In particular, we discussed NFU President Peter Kendall’s speech, “Delivering Farming’s Future”. He repeated a point made by Norman Borlaug, a Nobel laureate and great agricultural scientist, that:

In the next 50 years we are going to have to produce more food than we have in the last ten thousand years.

I am reminded of a remark heard elsewhere that restrictive measures can only restrict production. We might do well to rethink farming regulation substantially.

Nick Herbert MP’s agenda for British farming, “A New Age of Agriculture”, seeks to do just that, with an industry-led review of all existing regulations. See page 7 of the policy document:

I was also asked to respond personally to a wish list from Chilterns Farmers formed at the 4 March Chilterns Conservation Board Farmers’ Forum: I believe I passed muster! It was certainly a very interesting discussion and, yet again, I am staggered by the grotesque bureaucracy which has been heaped upon practical, productive people.

I think perhaps it is time for change.

Well, after visiting the magnificent Wycombe Abbey School yesterday to discover that they are very happy to share their facilities with the state sector, and after a great doorstep session this morning in Totteridge, where I found Labour voters coming over to the Conservatives, I am feeling rather upbeat, despite disquieting polling and despite agreeing with William Hague:

And I say it is that most crucial election because I believe the choice for Britain is as stark as this: it is change or ruin.

…

We are telling the British people the truth: we cannot go on like this.

We say to them now: it is time, it is time to make the break. We cannot go on just borrowing money from China so that we can buy their goods and then borrow some more. Gordon Brown is like a credit card company who will always send you another letter saying it would be so easy when in debt to borrow even more. Every family, every small business, everyone except this Government knows it is the road to ruin.

…

So it is time for change. And if we do not take this opportunity, grasp this hour, to set a new direction for Britain, then I tell you in all frankness that it will be too late. It will be too late in 5 years’ time to say we should have got rid of them, too late to reverse the decline: the debt will be too big, the bureaucracy too bloated, the small businesses too stifled, the slope Britain is sliding down will be too steep.

Yes, this year, the choice is change or ruin, but I believe people understand that this is true. People know that the days of bureaucracy are over. People must have more to do with one another and the government less.

A new publication,  The choice at this election, explains how Conservatives will:

• Act now on debt to get the economy moving
• Get Britain working by boosting enterprise
• Make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe
• Back the NHS
• Raise standards in schools
• Change politics

It’s this simple: vote for change, vote Conservative.

Beth and I were delighted to watch Wanderers beat Millwall 1-0 this afternoon in an exciting match.

Congratulations to the Chairboys!

I had the pleasure today of meeting Ken Edwards, Peter Jennings and Michael Diggins of the M40 Chiltern Environmental Group. We explored the history of the M40, the problem and potential avenues to explore within today’s tight financial situation.

Living very near the M40 in Daws Hill, I have every sympathy with the Group’s objectives. The following chart is a noise report for my area:

Note that noise levels are for the most part above 65 dBA, which would be a reasonable level under European standards. I understand 25-30,000 people live within 300m of the motorway between junctions 3 and 8 and therefore suffer the noise. For many people, the noise is far worse than this.

Certainly a situation to be pursued actively!

So here I am,  back online in our new High Wycombe home, just in time for this revolt against reason:

Following the ‘climategate scandal’, Mr Blair said the science may not be “as certain as its proponents allege”.

But he said the world should act as a precaution against floods, droughts and mass extinction caused by climate change, in fact it would be “grossly irresponsible” not to.

If I understand Blair correctly, he is following up his recent assertion of the form ‘we were right to go to war, irrespective of the facts’ with an assertion that ‘we should intervene heavily in the operation of society, irrespective of the facts’. This is sheer ideology: why not extend this philosophy to every social problem? I suspect he would answer, “Why not indeed?”

I am put in mind of my favourite philosopher, Karl Popper, who lived through mankind’s greatest period of social planning, with all the misery it entailed:

I see now more clearly than ever before that even our greatest troubles spring from something that is as admirable and sound as it is dangerous — from our impatience to better the lot of our fellows.

And:

We must plan for freedom, and not only for security, if for no other reason than only freedom can make security more secure.

Not forgetting:

It seems to me certain that more people are killed out of righteous stupidity than out of wickedness.

Popper began of course, like Hayek, as a socialist. He simply came to his senses when he saw what it entailed.

A week or so ago, my wife and I had lunch in High Wycombe’s noodle bar. I struck up a conversation with the young waiter – I forget how it began – and found myself answering his complaint that he didn’t know what politics was about with, “It’s about whether we should have a planned or a free society.” He answered, “I know what I want, but I don’t know who will give it to me.” I explained that a vote for me is a vote for a free society, which lifted his spirits.

What a pass we have come to if the young think there is no hope for a free society. What would our grandparents say, after all they went through?

"The heart & soul of biking."

Following a number of private meetings across the Wycombe constituency yesterday, from Fingest to the town centre, I had the pleasure of meeting Wycombe Motorcycle Action Group.

From MAG’s about page:

The Motorcycle Action Group, (MAG), is a voluntary organisation, drawing membership from across the whole spectrum of motorcycling.

Whatever you ride MAG has something for you!

MAG was born out of protest against legislation, introduced in 1973, making it compulsory to wear a crash helmet.

Since then MAG has evolved from a single issue group to a highly respected political lobbying and campaigns group which is central to all aspects of policy and legislation affecting motorcycling.

We covered a wide range of motorcycling and other issues (inevitably, MPs’ expenses!) but the overwhelming themes I perceived were that MAG campaigns for freedom and responsibility and that MAG members have, on the whole, well thought through and logically consistent views which go to the heart of what it means to live in a free society.

I believe we agreed, amongst other things, that:

• Wearing a helmet and protective clothing is a very good idea and that we would not wish to emulate the gentleman I saw in Greece riding a scooter in nothing but Speedos and flip-flops.
• Responsible motorcyclists obey the law and make sensible decisions about speed.
• Excessive vehicle noise, whether from motorcycles or cars, is a counterproductive intrusion on people’s right to quiet enjoyment.

It was a delight to spend the evening discussing how to live free and responsible lives. I am reminded of a quote attributed to Rose Wilder Lane:

Freedom means self-control; no more, no less.

I am glad to write that I have joined MAG.

I spent this morning in the public gallery of one of Wycombe’s Magistrates’ courts. What I saw could have been a study for the Centre for Social Justice.

What I witnessed today included the following cases (I dispense with the details for obvious reasons):

• Casual theft by a man with a methadone problem.
• Taking a vehicle without consent.
• Antisocial behaviour by a person with a history of drug and alcohol abuse, currently trying to turn their life around through work and treatment.
• Theft of a phone.
• Sending grossly offensive text messages — and they really were foul — by a young man to the mother of his 5-month-old child over a custody disagreement.
• Speeding to escape an abusive husband.

In just three hours, I saw the consequences of family breakdown, educational failure, worklessness, drugs and debt. The court saw a constant stream of human tragedy.

I imagine it will do so every day this week, as will every other in the land.

What next for the young father who is thrashing around, not knowing how to be a good dad, earning just £900 a month? What next for the person on methadone, stealing to cover a gap in benefit payments? What next in the heart-rending case of the young person aged 22 years, with two simple jobs, going through treatment for alcoholism, who narrowly escaped prison today?

Enter the Centre for Social Justice, which promotes practical, grass-roots solutions to social problems where the state may have failed. Of particular relevance is this recent speech by Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP:

While crime – particularly the fear of crime – impacts us all, it is most acute in our poorest areas. The middle classes fear crime but the most burgled, assaulted, raped and the most impacted by anti-social behaviour are the people who live on these estates.

These communities, typically dominated by social housing, are characterised by several common themes:

• Entrenched breakdown of the family.
• Generational worklessness.
• Poor education.
• Widespread addiction to drugs and alcohol.
• Severe personal debt.
• And violent street gangs.

People in such areas are five times more likely to be a victim of robbery than people in our wealthiest areas. They are twice as likely to be victims of violence, and other common crimes.

They are also five times more likely than their wealthier counterparts to perceive high levels of anti-social behaviour.

And it is from these communities that many offenders also originate.

The speech outlined an agenda for reform, covering:

• Courts and sentencing
• Police reform
• Prison reform

The state is failing those most in need and we are all paying the price: I certainly do not believe the costs recovered from these people of meagre means covered the facility, the magistrates, the clerk to the court, the solicitors, the probation officer, the usher, the security staff and the administrators. This is not even to begin to count the social and material loss we all suffer from the brokenness in these lives, or the cost to come.

Something must be done to stem this river of misery, and it is not the same old top-down stuff.

You can find the full report here.

Today, I was out meeting people in Hithercroft Road, High Wycombe:

Hithercroft Road

I was there to introduce myself and what I am up to and to listen. I had wonderful conversations throughout the morning.

People were interested in my background, how I will live and what I want to achieve, in that order. Let me give the same answers here:

• You can find out more about me, my work on bank reform and my support for the Centre for Social Justice here: About Steve.
• My wife and I will make our home in the constituency and arrange my affairs as for London commuting. And please note that I have previously commuted daily from Walter’s Ash to Canary Wharf.
• What I want to achieve is, in a nutshell, a healthy political system, a stable, sustainable economy and a hopeful future for all.

Those people who spoke with me seemed very happy to hear it. I asked them to hold me to account and told them that, if they did, we would really be getting somewhere.

A few people did not want to speak. Two apparently supported other parties — so I am not sure why they did not want to grill me — one gentleman was just extremely disillusioned with politics and won’t vote and finally one lady was busy.

And in other news, Beth put down a holding deposit on a house in Daws Lea.

Kind words from my colleague Dr Anthony J Evans:

I have just heard that the Wycombe Conservative Association have chosen Steve Baker to be their parliamentary candidate at the next general election (see here for more details). This is very exciting news. I have known Steve personally for some time now, and we’ve been working closely to launch The Cobden Centre – a think tank devoted to banking reforms.

What strikes me most about Steve is his ambition. He is not a career politician and has a fascinating background with the RAF and computing. But the first time we met it was clear that he was dissatisfied with the current political system and intended to do something about it directly. Steve is the sort of person that sets a clear goal and then achieves it. It’s therefore no surprise that he’s found a constituency that want to back him, and that wants him to represent their views in Westminster. I think the people of Wycombe are very lucky to have him.

Although most politicians and commentators have come round to the view that the financial crisis was the result of an artificial boom caused by excess credit creation, Steve has systematically tried to understand the full implications of this. He is incredibly well read on this subject, and even manages to balance this understanding with the sort of pragmatism and sense of reality that academics like myself fail to get! Congratulations Steve.