The Day Our Freedoms Died
11th June 2008 will be remembered. As the day when our elected representatives decided to remove our freedoms.
As strong as it may sound, our freedoms have died today. Because now we can be held for 42 days without charge if “terrorism” is mentioned as a reason. And we get £42,000 compensation if then released without charge. Scant compensation for such a breach of our human rights.
There is no case for 42 days. There has been no demand for it from the security services – and even if there had been, that doesn’t mean that we should give it to them. If other countries – including the US – believe that a third or less of that time is necessary, why are we going so far? What possible need is there?
ConservativeHome has never been more wrong than when it supported this bill.
Yet MPs voted by 315 to 306 for the motion. It was very tight, as expected, and showed that most Labour – and DUP – MPs chose to vote for the government and against the people.
Every MP who voted for the motion
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Every Labour MP, bar 36 rebels
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Sole Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe
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All nine DUP MPs
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Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, and
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UKIP’s Bob Spink
should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. For they have, as Tony Benn put it [probably the first and last time I will ever agree with him] repealed the Magna Carta.
UPDATE: As A Dodo has the Magna Carta’s obituary.
Categories: All WW, Human Rights / Freedom
I wouldn’t be quite so apocalyptic in the headline – we still have some freedoms left, even though I’m sure that they will be coming for those next.
Matt
6 Weeks
42 Days
1008 hours
60480 minutes
3,628,800 seconds
Do you have any idea what it would feel like to be locked up for 1000 hours not knowing why?
That’s the final straw as far as I’m concerned. The people who are doing this to our country are traitors and should be hung.
The scariest thing though about this whole affair is that nearly 70% of people in this country actually believe all the government propaganda about terror, terrorists, the war against terror (twat).
That really fucking depresses me. How about the remaining 30% of people – thos with a fucking clue – all get together and form a sensible country somewhere???
Z.
It will be interesting to see how this affects ID cards. There will be little cash left for contingencies, lots of parliamentary time is being taken up and there’s still a fight to come in the Lords.
@Zorro: Sounds like a good idea…
@Dave Cole: On a not particularly related point that occurs, I really wonder about reform of the Lords – and how we retain that genuine independence? They have been the most effective check on the executive for 29 years now.
Bring back the hereditaries? Ban Party whips? Exclude anyone who has been a minister?
I think that probably Maggie should have done some reforms – as they would have been minimalist.
Just thinking.