How many times over the last year or so have I been behind a car displaying the ‘Stop HS2’ sticker? Or ‘Ban fox hunting’ or ‘Fuel tax is killing retail’ (can’t remember the precise wording…) I’m not advocating riots or strikes but this seems meaningless. Is a politician with a lot of weight (political weight) going to see the sticker and be worried that he’ll face a mass protest outside his front door that night?

Or will he be concerned that the opposition is so strong the HS2 might not go ahead at all because he saw ten stickers on the way to work?

It’s the height of idleness. Maybe the sticker bearers do also keep busy with campaigns and research and press releases. I have my doubts.

In fact I take issue with car stickers in general. ‘Baby on board’ (so?); ‘Keep your distance’ (you too) and ‘I’m principal continental meat buyer for Tesco so if you go into me, no more salami, love’ (Ooh, I’ll back off then…) Stickers produce no passion in me and are uninspiring so what’s the point?

Stickers, paintwork and then ‘personalised’ number plates… oh hell, someone needs help. Chances are the HS2 will go ahead anyway, fuel taxes will remain high and people who ask us to take care of their own little darlings when driving them about have no idea what real parenthood is. Do they have stickers on their pushchairs too? And stickers on their children?

Anyway, please can we curb our enthusiasm for lame protests and grand statements in the form of cheap stickers? It’s exasperating, politically feeble and futile.

The Jarrow marchers would laugh. As would black south Africans, the miners of the 80s, Gandhi and a mass of others.

Either commit to a cause (this takes time and possible social exclusion) or accept; but don’t just plaster a sticker to your car and hope change will happen. It won’t.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here