'Politicians now see the nanny state as a necessity rather than a nice-to-have'

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Bagehot columnist in The Economist
The Telegraph editorial board
Adam Lashinsky in The Washington Post
María Ramírez for The Guardian

published 11 October 2023

The rise of Britain's new nanny state

Bagehot columnist in The Economist

Today's politicians "see the nanny state as a necessity, rather than a nice-to-have", according to The Economist's Bagehot column. And while it used to be "paternalistic, protecting people from themselves", the aim now is "protecting the state from the people". Government will "intrude more into the lives of voters, in a bid to keep a lid on the cost of the services they demand". In "the new nanny state", with proposed bans on cigarettes and junk-food adverts, "everyone is a public servant".

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