The new Tory conspiracy theory? A 15-minute stroll is ‘sinister’

When you’re younger, you know all the things that are controversial, divisive and outrageous. You hear about them the minute they break and have your own opinion on them 30 seconds later. That’s because “being young” is all about being “with it”, even if “it” is “a massively depressing culture war”.

When you get older, however, you get both slower and busier. Before you know it, you’ve missed a whole rabidly polarising international issue, simply because you spent the weekend vacuuming the basement.

Forgive me then, younger people, when I admit: this month was the first I became aware of what a hot potato the idea of “15-minute cities” is. I’d seen the phrase a few times before but, to be honest, I just assumed