As good as yesterday is

When a retired nurse chose to leave £500,000 to the government, a furore erupted this week. Had our government been a majority rather than a coalition, it would have been a lot easier for the ruling party to take the money in to their party coffers. Once again, the benefits of a coalition resulted in panic and confusion. Little did that lady know the storm she would cause by this simple act of generosity. As soon as the story broke in the media, a battle of "we couldn't possibly accept it" broke out between Cameron and Clegg to try and reclaim the moral high ground.

This act is not without precedent though. As I write, a will left to the country as long ago as 1928 continues to cause a bigger headache with the passage of each year. Held in trust by Barclays, the sum now amounts to £350 million pounds - not insubstantial I think you would agree. The problem revolves around the wording of the will. The money was left so that the country could use it to pay off its debts. The problem is that we have never been close to being able to do that. Thus the money remains in trust with Barclays desperate for it to be dispersed to good causes and business ventures. As frustrating as it must be for Barclays to be holding this money, they also have a moral obligation to see that the terms of the original will are honoured. It is hardly the fault of the benefactor that our country has been run beyond its means for these last 85 years.

While I'm sure we could all think of good and honourable uses for such a huge sum, it has been left for a specific purpose and must eventually be employed as such. In a way, these two cases almost serve to warn people away from altruistic acts. That would be a great shame because to leave the world with more than you took from it ought to be the aspiration for all of us. It is also reported that the charitable sector is suffering due to the disclosed salaries of some of the chief executives. This is regrettable. It seems as though the business ethos which has so pervaded our every movement has now come to exert its principles within the last bastion of freewill.

I today visited our local hospice and was humbled by the provision for the people in most need of our help. Without the charity fundraising, that hospice and many others like it would just cease to exist and end of life care for millions would return to dismal experiences of yesteryear. If you've ever visited one, you will appreciate exactly what I'm getting at. The problem of course is that many people have never been inside one to see at first hand the remarkable difference they make. Seeing really is believing.