Before we go on, I wasn't one of them.

There's a backlash in the UK at present over something called "The Nanny State". Many people perceive the current government to be over controlling, and to have a desire to know everything there is to know about every UK citizen. A good thing, you may say, in light of the events of last July, but surely some details and decisions are nobody's business, and should remain private.

In my opinion, the mini act of rebellion that led to enough people describing themselves as "Jedi" in the religion category was the beginning of the serious "mind your own business" backlash against the more intrusive aspects of New Labour policy.

It wasn't an attack on the Census as such (after all, where would all family history enthusiasts be without it?), just a small stand for personal privacy.

As I say, this is personal opinion, but ten or more people of my acquaintance, of all ages, backgrounds, and religions, described themselves as Jedi purely in response to what they saw as increasingly intrusive (and sometimes downright daft) policy affecting their personal lives.

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