Today the Prime Minister and his Deputy announced ’emergency’ legislation to legalise the mass collection and retention of data. The laws will be rushed through parliament next week.
I have a lot to say about this:
- It’s an affront to parliamentary democracy that ’emergency’ legislation is happening when there is no emergency;
- I am astonished at the text-book, almost clichéd manner in which fear and hatred have been mobilised in order to erode civil liberties. The media have been complicit in setting to mood;
- I am incredibly angry that this legislation is being enabled by the Labour Party, Her Majesty’s Opposition. Their manœvres actually threaten my faith that politics has the potential to do good;
- I feel let down by my own MP, Col. Bob Stewart (Conservative) who asked an incredibly weak and toadying question of the Home Secretary in parliament. Up until today, I had admired his approach.
In the next few days I shall expand on each of these points. For now, I will link to an article by Tom Watson MP on how parliament has stitched up the citizens.
Something isn’t right about representatives of the people being told by their party leaders to pass laws that they’ve barely read, let alone properly considered.
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secret deal between elites has removed the possibility of parliamentary scrutiny and engagement with civic society. The bill, warts and all, will be law next week. Theresa May has in the past stood strongly for the idea of policing by consent. What a shame she doesn’t think the same principles apply to our security services.
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