Risky business!
“Zero risk is unachievable, unattainable and undesirable” is what the Better Regulation Task Force just reported. Our world is now so based on risk aversion that it is creating an army of inspectors and busybodies to achieve this, and a clear incentive to initiate litigation if something goes wrong.
For politicians, this is very difficult. The self same commentators who criticise red tape and the nanny state will write for newspapers who produce a “something must be done” headline.
The outside alarm box on my Suffolk cottage was playing up recently; it could not be fixed because a regulation said that it was too high for a ladder (my offer to climb the ladder was refused); a special platform would have to be hired at a vast cost.
More unbelievable is the way my local council decided to “topple test” headstones in local cemeteries – a ridiculous, expensive, insensitive and hurtful exercise. When I protested volubly at a meeting in a local cemetery, one council official, boiling over with self-righteousness, screamed at me “How would you like to be responsible for the death of a child?” It was beyond absurdity.
All of this is getting worse. Ultimately, if we do not have the courage to accept more risk in our lives, we shall damage innovation and reduce self-reliance. We really are creating an unvirtuous circle and will pay the price.