Rescuing Adam Smith

The Adam Smith Institute seems concerned that its hijacking of the name of the 'father of modern economics' is under threat. On its blog today it has a piece ("Chancellor leads second kidnap attempt on Adam Smith") attacking what Gordon Brown has written in the forward to a book on Adam Smith. The Scotsman wrote about it last month: "Mr Brown makes it clear he believes the economist had a strong social conscience that would make him a political ally .... In the book, Prof McLean .... [writes] "I think he can only be classed as an egalitarian and left-wing philosopher."".

Good! For too long right-wingers have been getting away with selective and narrow quotations from Smith. They have overlooked his calls for decent wages and his assertions that government has a role in the provision of infrastructure such as roads (there wasn't much else in that category in his pre-railway, sewerage, electricity or water-supply days).

Well done Gordon......