Stroll through Scarborough, a town packed with retirees and tourists on England’s north-eastern coast, and it’s hard to find anyone with a kind word for the government. Yet linger at the bus shelter next to the Victorian train station and the tone abruptly changes. Those in the queue fall over themselves with praise for one particular policy. “Absolutely marvellous,” says Barbara, a pensioner. “Definitely good value,” chips in Charlotte, who works in a fast-food restaurant. The pair are talking about the bus-fare cap, a nationwide government policy which ensures that no single bus journey costs more than £3 ($4).