Speaking on Radio 4 this morning, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne said of Damian Green’s arrest:
I was frankly shocked and astonished by this. It will have a chilling effect on what MPs are able to do. Getting information into the public domain … clearly of the public interest is absolutely a key part. I find this a very worrying development. (Source: PoliticsHome)
In a longer statement, he elaborated:
Receiving information from Government departments in the public interest and publicising it is a key part of any MP’s role. This is the most worrying development for many years, with the potential to shift power even more conclusively from Parliament to the Government. It is also extraordinary considering Gordon Brown himself as Shadow Chancellor received and publicised many leaked official documents. It seems that either the law needs to be changed, or the police have overstepped the mark.
6 Comments
Apologies in advance for being a pedant, but Mr Huhne is not the Shadow Home Secretary.
Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is (like it or not) led by the leader of the largest opposition party – that is the Conservatives and he is David Cameron.
The largest [opposition] party has a “shadow cabinet” and the members are referred to as “Shadow … [insert cabinet post]“.
Other opposition parties will generally have spokespeople – and in this case, Chris Huhne is the Liberal Democrats’ Home Affairs and Justice spokesman.
Anonymous: Parliament disagrees with you.
MEMBERS OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT SHADOW CABINET
…
SHADOW HOME SECRETARY Chris Huhne MP
If it’s good enough for Parliament, it’s good enough for me.
http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/libdems.cfm
Probably the first and original “shadow cabinet” wasn’t an official institution either and took some time before it was generally accepted and officialised, so it probably takes some time before everybody (especially the supporters of the current official shadow cabinet) accept that there may exist several shadow cabinets at the same time.
Of course, those who haven’t yet accepted it, seem to be eager to push their opinion onto everyone else, like seen in Wikipedia.
The arrest of a democratically elected M.P. is yet a further infringement of our rights.
M.P.’s of all parties should be concerned at the actions of the police in this matter, and they should call for an emergency debate in the House.
This week I was notified of a forthcoming convention, at which by coincidence I see that Chris Huhne is one of the many speakers.
I was thinking of going to this before the Damien Green episode arose. I am now convinced of the need to attend a convention where there will be a debate by eminent lawyers and others on the erosion of our civil liberties. A concerted campaign across party lines is vital.
This is the site for the convention:-
http://www.modernliberty.net/
As civil liberties disappear one by one down the toilet, in the name of ’security’, and we sleepwalk into a ‘1984′ state, is it just me that finds it depressing that good-old Google adds ads to this thread, and others?
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