Labour edging toward 'nanny statism'

Friday, 26 November 2004 12:00 AM

Most voters think the Government is infringing too much on their liberties, according to a new poll.

Seven out of ten respondents - an even mix of men and women - in the ICM for think-tank Reform said the state was curtailing too many freedoms.

Voters agreed "too many infringements on personal liberty are being proposed on matters that should be for individuals to decide for themselves".

The poll comes after the Queen's Speech set out tough new laws to crackdown on terrorism, anti-social behaviour and identity theft.

The Government is also considering new controls on the advertising of junk food to children.

A total of 62 per cent of Labour voters said too many restrictions were being imposed, suggesting the Government was risking alienating its own followers with "nanny state" legislation.

But on crunch issues such as smoking, smacking and hunting, a total of 27 per cent said the Government should legislate more.

Following proposals unveiled in the White Paper earlier this month, smoking is likely to be banned in all restaurants and pubs that serve food in England and Wales.

The Children Act is to outlaw physical punishment - though not smacking - by parents in England and Wales and, last week, MPs forced a ban on hunting onto the statute.

Meanwhile, Margaret Hodge, Children's Minister, said the Government had the right to intervene in family life, given the social ramifications in the way parents look after their children.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the mother-of-four said she wanted to extend the state's influence to the home.

"There is a proper role for the state in helping parents in the home," she said.

"In the past, people got support from the extended family, now they are looking elsewhere."

She argued - echoing a speech made to the Institute for Public Policy Research - that the state was a "force for good", helping families to unleash the full potential of their children.

The Government is to publish its 10-year strategy for childcare next week and planning to give all new parents a booklet with advice on how to rear their offspring.

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