Government Excess

5 pence for a plastic grocery bag?

Britain's plan to save the planet!

I am the classic 'grumpy old man'.
When I'm here in the UK I shop at any of the grocery chains, and, I try to remember to take my own bag with me. If I should forget, or heaven forfend, put more groceries in my cart than I have bags for, I really don't see why I should start paying an additional 5 pence for the 'convenience' of taking my purchases home in one of the greater inventions of the consumer society. The lightweight, flexible and durable plastic bag, valued a probably a fraction of a penny and which the retailer (today) is happy to give to me for free.
So, is this truly the final, earth shaking affront to my personal liberty; the straw that breaks the camel's back?
Almost certainly not, but definitely yet another straw none the less. More importantly, it's a symptom of modern British government in general and our current 'coalition of incompatibles' in particular. The only things they share are opposition to Labour and and a lust for power. 
As a Libertarian leaning Conservative I find Cameron a hollow vessel, if he truly has a vision of a future for this country he seems singularly incapable of sharing it or inspiring the rest of us. Unless of course he fears rejection of that vision!
Meanwhile, our 'Lib Dems' are showing their true colour in government. Even less liberal than democratic they seem bent on imposing their vision of the 'Liberal' utopia which kept them in the political wilderness for all those years. Now we know why!

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