Please note that the post below was published more than ten year ago on 21st November 2009 Nick Herbert MP, shadow cabinet member for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, was in Cumbria this morning to see the areas affected by the flooding. He writes on Conservative Home about his visit. Here is an extract. I’ve been in Cumbria today to see the areas affected by the floods. I arrived early in Keswick where I met officials from the Environment Agency. Although the river levels had fallen considerably and homes were no longer flooded, the damage to homes had been done. And the water which had got into houses wasn’t just from the river – it was foul water which had risen from the drains. I talked to fire crews who were pumping flood water back into the river, and discovered that they were from Tyne & Wear and Lancashire. They had been called in at an hours’ notice and had been working on the scene ever since, staying at a local hotel. You cannot fail to be impressed by the
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Let me lay out what i think "fair" is.
Its where everyone has a chance to make it. Its where you are allowed to earn your own money and actually keep most of it, its when you can start up a viable business and government don't tax you to subsidise non viable ones.
Its a place where when you have paid for a service (Eg road tax) you expect the service to be carried out, like all the potholes fixed. Its a place where those who are in authority may be held to account at any moment (not 5 years later). Its a place where a banker can not take stupid risks and expect a taxpayer bail out (just because they are bankers).
Its a place where no one, who is down on their luck, will ever starve or freeze, but will have a chance to return to work as soon as possible.
Its an old saying "an honest days work for an honest days pay" I mean what on earth is more fair than that.
Unfortunately what happens all too often is that people have a far more extensive idea of how governments should intervene to ensure we have a "fair" society - and that it includes ideas which are incompatible.