A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.

Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.

My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...

I remember when I first wrote about this on my blog back in 2021, I felt slightly daft. Less so now... www.freewheeling.info/blog/the-fut...

Exactly so. I think we can feel shame in pulling up the ladder on foreign aid. It’s not this generation’s responsibility that the Empire happened. But it helped make Britain rich. Given that we’re comparatively rich and most of the rest of the world is poor, we should be helping more than we are.

I completely agree. I would much prefer that and it makes much more sense as a policy.

However, I understand the political logic of making this balance fuel duty as opposed to putting a new tax on existing car drivers.

I’d much rather have what you’re suggesting, but rather have this than nothing

The problem is that it is very hard to introduce a new tax on people who are not used to paying it. They’ve got to get this in before the critical mass of people have bought an EV in the expectation that mileage is not taxed.

Here's the post, in case anyone wants it! www.freewheeling.info/blog/the-rai...

Have the local by elections that have taken place so far been in a particularly skewed demographic?