In the 12 years that we have been privileged to be ruled by New Labour, we have become one of the most spied upon people on earth. A seemingly innocent trip to the bank makes one feel like a criminal. To open or close an account requires you to bring your passport and one other piece of identity. On top of that you have to write your life story on a form. Our phone calls, emails and faxes are now routinely monitored; details are stored on huge databases for years.
The ever decreasing proportion of us who work in the private sector, are swamped with more and more regulation. Health and safety has tied us in knots. All this data collection has had serious consequences; police officers have to spend so much time doing it, that they are kept off patrolling.
In our public services, in spite of record investment, the buck seems stop nowhere. If you have a problem, trying to complain wears you down. Customer service is not a concept they understand. And now the Royal Bank of Scotland has joined the civil service, will it go the same way?
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