You know it's good for you

Here's another example of what invariably happens when politicians interfere with markets:

The only problem was that the west coast langoustines to be used on the menu that night were decidedly off. In fact, they were dead, even though they had been landed nearby on the Ayrshire coast.

Astonished staff at the five-star resort discovered that, as a result of new European Union food safety rules, the shellfish had been on a 900-mile round trip.

Isn't it sad to read this response from the Turnberry Hotel?

We are very happy to comply with the regulations

Perhaps they're scared to offend the powers that be. The correct response would be: Mind tour own goddamn business.

Of course, it's still possible to get fresh supplies:

The only remaining way to buy shellfish direct from a boat is nightmarishly bureaucratic. The buyer will have to register with the Scottish Executive. Every time a purchase is made - daily in the case of most seafood restaurants to guarantee freshness - forms will have to be filled in: logging who it was bought from, at what time and how it is going to be kept.

The Scottish Executive constantly tells us that it's now pro-business. Let them prove it by firing the spokeswomen who said this:

She added it was the Executive's view that the regulations would not cause any substantial changes to current business practices for buying shellfish directly from fishing boats.

Couldn't she do something useful? Like gutting fish.