Warning: those that respect the law will respect it no longer

Oliver Letwin From a speech by the shadow Home Secretary to the Politea think-tank in London

The easy-case syndrome is an everyday fact of life. Examples are not isolated: a month ago, millions of us received a self-assessment form from the Inland Revenue. This gives you the privilege of collaborating in the taxation of your income, patience and honesty. Meanwhile the cash-in-hand brigade enjoy the public services your taxes have paid for, without contributing anything.

Even if your builder declares his income down to the last penny, you may still fall foul of our planning system, which regulates the placement of each and every garden shed, while townscapes are defaced by tower blocks. And if you should find an intruder breaking into your garden shed, do not let him tread on a garden fork, as it may be you and not the criminal that gets sued.

I have seen much the same attitude displayed by the ticket inspectors of more than one train operator, who while happy to fine the commuter who misplaced his or her ticket, are unlikely to challenge the carriage full of louts who didn't have tickets in the first place.

We have arrived at a position where the easy-case syndrome is becoming a positive intention of government. Picking on the easy case is great way of raising revenue. One need think only of speed cameras and congestion charges. The legally registered, fully insured motorist driving his own vehicle, is the ultimate easy case. The registration plate of the legally registered driver is a perfect identifier and the car itself a hostage subject to clamping, crushing or confiscation so as to extract a ransom from its owner. Meanwhile the joy-riders travel free of charge, free of speed restrictions and free of parking tickets. In a slight adaptation of the proverb, they have learned that to travel joyfully is better than to arrive in court.

And so the question is: how much more can the easy cases take? The weight of authority is sliding on to their backs, and increases with every new law and every new tax. If this continues, there will come a point at which those that respect the law respect it no longer. And at that point our society will be in serious trouble.