The Life and Times of Edward Brand

By George McLaren

"Ah" said the Secretary of State "I am very attracted by your idea, but mainly in relation to another group altogether - and I mean by that the sharp elbowed middle classes. The people who cheat on school places, who employ accountants to avoid tax, who are heavy drinkers in their own homes - and they expect the NHS to pick up the tab. They are the ones to whom this could well be applied. A very interesting idea." Edward Brand is 'Not Inclined to Comply'. This is his story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781447625155

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The Life and Times of

Edward Brand

First Published 2010 by the Quayside Press

1

Copyright © George McLaren 2009

The right of George McLaren to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Printed and bound by lulu.com

eISBN: 978-1-44762-515-5

The Life and Times of

Edward Brand

George McLaren

The Editor

Sunday Business

9 September 2016

Sir

The Government’s compliance policies

I was commissioned earlier this year by the Department of Social Progress and Reform to undertake research on the impact of the compliance policy introduced by the predecessor department – the Ministry of Justice – in 2010. At the end of July the contract was terminated under a standard break clause with no reason given. Under the terms of the contract I was – surprisingly – left the intellectual property of the research.

My research highlighted the unintended consequences of the adoption of the compliance policy. As an illustration I am sending you one of the stories that entered my research. It is not unique, nor is it the most extreme example, but the story of Edward Brand gives you a good picture of the impact of the policy.

I hope you will find it of interest, and I would of course be pleased to elaborate on the story if that was helpful.

Yours faithfully

George McLaren

After the event                June 2015

10 June 2015

Edward Brand walked up Cheap Street slowly. He had plenty of time. His sense of intense relief was dulled by depression. He looked from side to side in a slow scrutiny of the street. It looked shabby, broken and tawdry. When he got to the top he paused before pushing open the café door. He had been here before, but not as a free man. He entered cautiously.

The girl serving at the counter was the same, but different. He ordered a coffee and sat down on the bench. The day’s papers were strewn in front of him. He looked at them in a distracted way, and realised that they meant nothing to him. He scanned the numerous certificates, health and safety notices and other regulatory paraphernalia. Clearly nothing had changed. He stared at his coffee and the table for a long time.

He looked up and saw a well manicured man standing alone opposite him. At that moment the door opened and an attractive woman in her late thirties walked in – ample, confident and still young. Edward’s heart hammered in panic when, just for a second, he thought it was Rosie. But as she turned, he realised she was not. She put her arm around the older man, and pressed herself to his side. He tousled her hair.

You all right old thing – get what you wanted?

Yup she said great job, just what I wanted – now let’s have some coffee.

The couple moved away from the bar and settled down comfortably with the papers. They said little, but were warm together. Edward felt as miserable as they were content. She looked enough like Rosie to stoke his misery and his memories. After a while they stood up and returned the cups and saucers to the bar.

Thank you Cathy the man said We’ll see you tomorrow. They walked out into their world. Edward watched them go. He wondered if the parting strangers could understand the effect they were having. But perhaps that was the result of being in prison.

Edward fiddled with his cup of coffee, unconsciously extending it, and using it to postpone the decisions he knew he had to face. Cathy looked at him in a dispassionate way. Just out are you? she said eventually.

Edward flushed and then said Yes I am – how do you know?

They’re all the same. First place they come is here and they don’t know what to do next

Touching that you notice he said, warming to her.

Not really. Just sad.

Crushed, he went back to toying with his coffee. Cathy had to push him out many hours later. There was still an inch of cold and much circulated coffee in the bottom of the cup.

He had to start again, and he had to go to London now. At least the tragic story of the Arcupine meant he had somewhere to stay.

Success                1994-2006

Birchard Weekly Gazette Health and Beauty Supplement 15 July