Chelsea’s 4x4 driving barons are taking liberties
The spirit of Magna Carta is sadly missing in the streets around the Chelsea Flower Show
The feudal barons set up the Magna Carta in 1215 to curb Royal excesses. The charter required King John to recognise that his will was not arbitrary, and accept that no ‘freeman’ could be punished except through the law of the land. The barons continued to exploit the general population, of course, but key principles governing the relationship between the individual and state were codified, meaning the ordinary person in the street benefits from the protections that the Medieval...