NHS strikes: Even Mary Poppins would struggle to sell 'nanny state' advice not to get drunk – Scotsman comment

The people of Britain have long-standing suspicion of any government that appears intent on setting itself up as a “nanny state”.

Mary Poppins floats by the Houses of Parliament (Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Like recalcitrant toddlers, we often insist that we know best, even in circumstances when it is not entirely clear that we do. However, despite that, we are not toddlers, but adults, and so we should have the freedom to choose to do things that may not be entirely safe if we so wish.

Some climb mountains, others row across the open ocean, and there are even particular daredevils who throw themselves out of airplanes without a parachute, aiming for a large cushion on the ground, for heaven’s sake.

So advice from UK Government ministers to avoid doing anything “risky” amid the ongoing NHS strikes may not go down too well. Apparently the definition of “risky” includes not only contact sports but “unnecessary” car journeys. One NHS official also suggested people should avoid getting “blind drunk” in case they end up hurting themselves.

Perhaps sensing they are not onto a winner with this kind of advice, a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on a more detailed explanation of what constituted risky activity, saying: “I’m not going to get into a list.”

The problem with all this is that no one gets into a car thinking they are going to have a crash and few, apart from the less studious of students and the like, set out of an evening determined to get so drunk that they cannot see.

Even if Mary Poppins was Prime Minister, the British public would struggle to swallow this kind of medicine for long.