Remember the olden days under new Labour when many amateur photographers found themselves being stopped and searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act just for, well, taking photographs. Liberal Democrats stood up against that then and in Government these searches were stopped.

Chris Huhne, then Home Affairs Spokesman, was robust at the time in saying that photographers and trainspotters should be left alone to pursue their perfectly legitimate hobbies without interference.

We thought we’d seen the last of these authoritarian attacks on innocent pastimes until the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport announced plans to ban photography completely on the subway, giving no real reason for such a draconian measure. The authority put its proposed new bye-laws out for consultation. If implemented, those caught taking photographs in any part of the subway would be liable for a fine of up to £1000. Similar penalties apply for queue jumping, singing, being drunk, failing to report lost property and going up an escalator the wrong way.

It’s my view that these sorts of silly rules are made to poke fun at. That’s why, to raise awareness and encourage people to respond to the consultation, I’m encouraging people to take photos on the subway and post them on Twitter using the hashtag #SubwaySnapIn. I’ve also set up a Facebook page too. A clever web designer, David Bennett, has set up Picture Your Subway to campaign against the ban, too.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie was one of the first to come out and oppose the plans:

“Whichever bright spark came up with this needs to be told to drop it.

“This kind of nonsense distracts from the real fight against crime and terrorism.

“We have seen what happened in the past under the old Labour government. People were arrested under terrorism laws for wearing t-shirts lampooning Tony Blair or for shouting ‘nonsense’ at a conference.

“Strathclyde needs some strong liberal voices to shout ‘nonsense’ at this plan.”

I have long suspected that Liberal Democrat Voice’s Co-Editor Mark Pack doesn’t actually need to sleep. He just recharges himself from the internet. It is Mark I have to thank for alerting me to this at the crack of dawn the other day.

If you have any connections with Glasgow, please reply to the consultation by 15th June. Replies should be sent to:

FAO Joanne Gray, Glasgow Subway Bye-laws Consultation, Transport PolicyDirectorate, Area 2D North, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.

Or e-mail [email protected]

It’s also worth pointing out that however draconian these plans seem, the person who operates Glasgow Subway’s Twitter account clearly gets that social networking is about engaging rather than broadcasting.

If you are in or visiting Glasgow, get snapping or the subway. Be as creative as you like.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings