More badgering and nudging from our beloved masters who seem to be more interested in their pet hobbies than getting on with government :

More than 12,000 cash machines in the UK are set to allow charitable donations from this summer, the government has announced.

Royal Bank of Scotland cash machines and those owned by independent operator Bank Machine will be the first, with others expected to follow.

The banks will select eight charities which people will be able to choose from when they use a cash machine.

People using a debit card will be able to donate between £1 and £250.

And some people using a debit card will mutter fuck off every time they use one, although that will probably result in an £80 fixed penalty ticket if the community warden (or whatever name they go by these days) happens to be within earshot.

The government has been looking at ways to make it easier for people to give small amounts to charity.

“By making it possible to add donations at cash points we can make an even greater difference to other people’s lives,” said Nick Hurd, minister for civil society.

Which bit of voluntary donation do these people not get?

With workplace giving courtesy of Corporate Social Responsibility, everyone and their grandmother shoving a sponsorship form under you nose, not to mention high street tin rattlers, it is perfectly easy to give your money away these days without yet another government nudge unit brainwave. That’s not forgetting of course the vast sums the government already gives on our behalf to professional shroud wavers and busy bodies.

Finally, we have this gem :

The plans for increasing charity giving were laid out in government proposals at the end of 2010.

The government’s consultation called on UK banks to look at copying a system pioneered in 1998 by Servibanca in Colombia, which allows customers to make a donation each time they withdraw cash.

It called for charitable giving to become a “social norm” and for public services to be encouraged to take on more volunteers.

At the time, the Labour Party welcomed the Green Paper but warned it would not stop the cuts facing charities.

Which reminded me immediately of this snippet from 1984 (hence the title in case you were wondering) :

” Look at him working away in the lunch hour “, said Parsons, nudging Winston. ” Keenness, eh ? What’s that you’ve got there, old boy ? Something a bit too brainy for me, I expect. Smith, old boy, I’ll tell you why I’m chasing you. It’s that sub you forgot to give me.”

” Which sub is that ?” said Winston, automatically feeling for money. About a quarter of one’s salary had to be earmarked for voluntary subscriptions, which were so numerous that it was difficult to keep track of them.

” For Hate Week. You know – the house-by-house fund. I’m treasurer for our block. We’re making an all-out effort – going to put on a tremendous show. I tell you, it won’t be my fault if old Victory Mansions doesn’t have the biggest outfit of flags in the whole street. Two dollars you promised me.”

Winston found and handed over two creased and filthy notes, which Parsons entered in a small notebook, in the neat handwriting of the illiterate.

I am not sure if Orwell would be pleased with his predictions playing out or furious for us letting the state get to where it has in such a short time.