Another bite taken out of our private lives

MY favourite survey came before we invaded Iraq, showing 100 per cent support for sending in the troops – remarkable, since a minimum 10 per cent of people are against any given position at any given time. The survey appeared in – smelling salts for BBC Radio Scotland’s douce Isabel Fraser, pictured, who cannot hide her contempt for such things – a tabloid newspaper. The survey question? ‘Do you want war with Saddam, or are you chicken?’ Did those surveying the eating habits of Scots, and who concluded there has been no change in our poor diet in 15 years, similarly guide the answers? Younger Scots have embraced kale smoothies. They have made billionaires of New Zealand avocado farmers and broken the hearts of purveyors of clootie dumpling. Five a day? Today’s kids polish off five virtuous things at breakfast. But this survey will be taken as proof we are digging our own graves with our teeth and will pave the way for more infantilising intervention from the SNP. Expect another survey asking: ‘Do you want Jeane Freeman to tell you what’s for dinner – or do you want to be deported?’