‘So, farewell, Tony Benn’, as no doubt Private Eye will soon intone. The country has lost the last great socialist. Although I disagreed with him over Europe – and I see cooperation with our european neighbours as an innate part of a left-wing stance – I agree with much of what Benn had to say. Power should indeed lie with the people, the workers, and not the bankers who get rich from the graft of others. The Tories, of course, are making a big thing o claiming to be ‘for hard-working people’, but by hard-working people they mean selfish, greedy sneak-thieves who loathe paying tax and contributing to society. Thus for CaMoron to come on t.v earlier today and praise Benn is nothing but crass hypocrisy.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I was watching an interview, a couple of days ago, with the guy who designed the 3d-printable gun. I found myself both completely agreeing with him and disagreeing with him at the same time. I, like him, want people to be free: we are all equal, and thus have the right to do as we please. We should all be sceptical f big, domineering governments which can so easily become oppressive. However, at the same time we need big governments to ensure equality through a fair education system, a civilised healthcare system and a welfare state. Without such mechanisms, the few dominate the many, the strong dominate the weak. Pure freedom becomes freedom for some.

I’ve been fretting over the paradox since then. Is big government bad or good? How do we ensure equality and happiness for all? Is socialism really the answer, or is it really a form of oppression? Truth be told, I no longer think I’m sure.