Britain is drowning in red tape and bureaucracy. Everyone (including all political parties), but not the bureaucrats who administer it, agrees with that assessment of the current state of play in the UK.

How to Label a Goat details the daft, amusing and downright deranged range of legalese that one has to follow, no matter what area of life one finds oneself in. Often contradictory, befuddling, sometimes dangerous and always turgid, the rules and regulations, whether from Whitehall or Brussels, are slowly strangling life in Great Britain.

One of my favourite bits of government-speak is the advice to employers not to hold meetings or other events on the 31st of October, lest they offend those who celebrate Samhain. One would think it might be wiser to have the next day as the one without too much to do, considering all that pagans and non-pagans get up to on All Hallow's Eve. I must add that I have never met a pagan (this one included) who was offended by having to work or having meetings on the 31st of October. As with many of these rules there is  no call for the law from those who it actually effects.

Those of you concerned about the environment might be interested to know that the British government uses up vast amounts of trees as it waxes poetic about rules and regulations that have to do with recycling and the environment. In one recently Parliament this took over 700 pages. And you can probably assume that is not on recycled paper.

How to Label a Goat has 260 pages of such examples that will both amuse, bemuse and exasperate the reader. If one is not thoroughly fed up with government by the end of those pages, Clark has helpfully included a form that keen readers can send to the government to allow them to see what sort of person reads this sort of book (and no doubt to make sure the books attracts a suitably diverse set of readers).

Whether or not this is an enjoyable read for all but the most ardent governance hacks is a matter for some debate. However I think it is worthwhile reading for all just to remind us what a complete hash government makes of most things.