Ministry for Loneliness won’t help

I REGULARLY pop into a branch of a building society near the office to pay in cheques and so on. Next month it is to close and re-open in April as a selfservice branch with no counter staff. “That’s a shame,” I said to the clerk with whom I’ve passed the time of day for years. She sighed, “It’s the way things are going, isn’t it?”

She’s right and for some people a visit to a building society can be their only chance in the entire day to have a little chat with a human being. So what on earth is the new Minister for Loneliness going to be able to do about – just one example – machines replacing people? Answer: sweet nothing.

Sorry, but the creation of this department is another piece of well-meaning flimflam like the happiness index that Cameron came up with. It is partly a tribute to murdered MP Jo Cox who was deeply concerned about this issue but even so. Yes, loneliness is terrible and modern life creates the conditions in which it thrives. But government should concern itself with tangible things. Next there will be a Minister for Unhappy Holiday Romances or a Secretary of State for Hurt Feelings.