The mantra "hard working families" seems to have been compulsory for politicians of any political party for the last 15 years or so. What triggered my tirade today was a particularly crass application of the formula. In defending Government proposals to allow people to build 6 metre extensions (or 8 metres for detached houses) without any requirement for planning permission, nor any consideration of their neighbours' concerns, a spokesbuffoon for the Department for Communities and Local Government said "The planning system needs to strike a balance between the rights of the homeowner and their neighbours, avoiding excessive red tape whilst still protecting local amenity. Our practical proposals make it easier for thousands of hard-working families to undertake home improvements to cater for a growing family”
Well, that's alright then. I was worried that single people might build extensions without permission, or couples, or bone-idle lottery-winning families, or undetected axe-weilding serial killers, or Eric in Uzumlu. My mind is completed put at rest knowing that hard working families will benefit.
This could be a universal justification for Government policy: "We need to invest in a replacement for the Trident missile in order to protect hard working families"; "Alcohol prices must rise in order to help hard working families keep sober (and hard working)"; "Teachers should work a 60 hour week in order to be free babysitters for hard working families"; and so on. You name it there will be a "hard working families" angle to it somewhere - several Government departments are devoted solely to the task of finding them.
