Margaret Thatcher is probably shaking her head with disgust that the Tories have become so vapid that the Party apparently is poised to support a ban on appliances such as plasma TVs because they use “too much” energy. The Sun also reports that the Tory working group wants to use a new measure of GDP based on nebulous indicators of happiness (which is probably a wise step since actual GDP probably will shrink if the Conservative Party ever wins another election and gets the chance to implement its nanny-state agenda):

The Conservatives will propose banning plasma screens and other energy-guzzling electrical goods in a report to be unveiled next week. The proposals target white goods like fridges and freezers, as well as TVs, personal computers and DVD players that use too much energy or operate on stand-by. …The group will also suggest scrapping Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of the nation’s success in favour of a model that measures people’s happiness drawn up up by Friends of the Earth. Under the proposals, a cap could be set on the energy use of each electrical appliance, and those exceeding limits could be banned from sale in the UK. …The proposals are set to be unveiled on Thursday in the final report of the Tories’ Quality of Life Policy Group, chaired by former Environment Secretary John Gummer and green activist Zac Goldsmith, a Conservative spokesman confirmed.