Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. The term likens such a government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing. An early use of the term comes from Conservative British Member of Parliament Iain Macleod who referred to "what I like to call the nanny state" in the 3 December 1965 edition of The Spectator.
An old wet nurse symbolising France as nanny-state and public health provider (colour photomechanical reproduction of a lithograph editorial cartoon by N. Dorville, 1901)
Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesman and lawyer who served as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990, and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party from 1954 to 1992. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar from 1955 until his death in 2015. Lee is widely recognised as the founding father of the modern Singaporean state, and for his leadership in turning it into a highly developed country under his tenure.
Lee in 1975
Lee as a child
Family photo on the eve of Lee's (back row, centre) departure for the United Kingdom.
Lee's barrister's wig and container, on display in the National Museum of Singapore.