Another day, another example of Police Scotland’s disrespect for civil liberties. Hot on the heels of arming police on routine duties on quiet highland streets against the wishes of the local community and pursuing a highly illiberal stop and search policy, interspersed with some casual spying on journalists, we now have compulsory drug testing outside nightclubs. From the Daily Record:
Customers queuing outside clubs have been approached by officers who swab their hands for traces of illegal substances.
Those who don’t co-operate are refused entry while those who test positive are questioned and face being searched and arrested.Politicians and licensed trade bosses yesterday criticised the tactic as heavy-handed and a breach of young people’s rights.
I have never ever been an enthusiastic nightclubber, but this actually makes me want to go and protest against such disproportionate action. How dare the Police, who would have no reason to suspect me of any breach of the law, stop me going about my lawful business because I refuse to comply with an arbitrary check. This must surely be a good issue for some cross-campus campaigning as universities resume.
It is another sign of a Police Force that clearly thinks the people are there to serve it and not the other way round.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie was quick to question the Police operation:
Carrying out such tests without a suspicion of a crime is a heavy handed and indiscriminate tactic by the police.
It’s why we stood firmly against industrial scale stop and search.
Police Scotland need to review this tactic and explain how this helps address drug taking.
Willie’s comments were also reported in Mixmag, which probably would make him really cool but for the fact that I would put money on him never having heard of the music publication.
The owner of the club whose customers were subjected to the searches, Tony Cochrane, was also sceptical:
Police found nothing in two nights and said they won’t be back for few months.
I’d like to know why they feel the need to come back at all. They’re wasting manpower and resources on making law-abiding citizens feel like suspects.
There is a certain irony here. Way back in 2008, a certain Tony Cochrane set up a lap-dancing club in Dunfermline. The local MP at the time was very opposed to this “sleazy, so-called entertainment.” That MP, one Willie Rennie, did meet Mr Cochrane in his constituency office. I’m sad to see that the Dunfermline Press no longer has the photo taken at that meeting online. It’s very rare for Willie not to be smiling in a photo. He just can’t help himself. This one, however, had him really glowering. This time, they are both right.
UPDATE: Many thanks to the nice person on Twitter who published that photo at the time. Fantastic. You have to look. You won’t regret it.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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16 Comments
Why would you put money on Willie Rennie never having heard of Mixmag? It was at the height of its popularity when he was at university. He’s almost certainly heard of it. There’s an odd tendancy to think politicians pop into existence fully formed, wearing a suit and tie.
To me it seems like a small step towards American ways of policing in a future police state or a neo socialist communist one.
You can’t blame the police for implementing the law on drugs.
It is the law on drugs which needs to be changed so blame politicians for not changing the law.
If someone can afford the entry prices charged by nightclubs can he/she also afford a solicitor to ask whether the police were acting legally? Did they, for instance take identity details of anyone? If so, did they have reasonable grounds for suspicion? Did they keep records of what they did? on notebooks and/or on police computers?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Police_Authority
Sir Norfolk, I know him well enough to know that Iron Maiden may be on his car stereo, but that Mixmag isn’t on his radar.
@Richard Underhill, you make a very serious point, which is why I quite like the idea of getting myself into a nightclub queue when this is going on, because, believe me, the police actions would be very well scrutinised…
Caron Lindsay 9th Sep ’15 – 12:19pm As your face is on Facebook the police might recognise you, but although there are differences between Scottish and English law, please consider the case of a dark-skinned man who was stopped by police in England and searched for drugs without reasonable suspicion. when the police officer realised that the man was a Bishop in the Church of England he apologised and said that he would not have stopped and searched if he had realised. The Bishop’s reply was instructive, he wanted to be searched on the same basis as everyone else.
So according to Willie Rennie, police performing drugs tests outside a nightclub = highly illiberal, but actively trying to close down another nightclub (owned by the same man) because of prudishness is not illiberal. You couldn’t make this up.
“Hot on the heels of arming police on routine duties on quiet highland streets against the wishes of the local community…”
As I pointed out a previous time this came up, Police Scotland’s own survey data found over half the public supporting their firearms policy, with “no significant differences either by region or by an urban/rural split”.
Richard, that’s really scary – about the Police recognising my face from Facebook. Yikes. Do we really live in that sort of society? If so, it’s worse than I thought.
We’re all ‘criminals’ in Scotland now under SNP Justice guidlines. To be honest, I’m more worried about them, with, the help of Green sludge wanting to take our washing machines away. If we have washing machines, the temptation to use them will be too much, and we will be weak, and start washing shirts. The idiocy, of the SNP would be amusing, if it wasn’t so scary. I live in North Scotland, I could write a book. We have all but 8 months to save the very soul of Scotland.
Too many people seem to be high on The SNP.
Caron Lindsay 9th Sep ’15 – 7:21pm Not sure about Scottish police.
Until the police in Scotland adopt a “shoot to kill” policy and start using drones, there are more important things going on in the world.
John Tilley, as a Lib dem member, living in Scotland. I take it very seriously. Although, I only see them when doing shopping, when they are shopping, and stocking up on Tea, Milk etc,etc…. otherwise ‘Rarer than Hen’s Teeth’ . Too windy for drones, up in North Scotland.
Simon Arnold 11th Sep ’15 – 1:49am
Simon, You are quite right to take it seriously. However,a sense of proportion is needed.
This thread incudes a comment suggesting that Scotland is stepping towards “…. a future police state or a neo socialist communist one”.
So far there are no signs of a “Neo socialist communist police state” north of the border.
Would reading such claims encourage voters to trust Liberal Democrats to be responsible for important decisions on policing in Scotland? I doubt it.
If politics is about gaining the trust of voters and encouraging them to be confident in a party’s ability to do sensible things if elected – Liberal Democrats in Scotland might like to reassess their strategy of pretending that the whole of their country is going to hell in a hand cart.
John Tilley.
I live there, I should know. It has already arrived in a hand cart.
Liberals, need to ensure that we live in a fair, democratic and free society. As a Lib Dem, member, that is what I would like to see. I hardly think Police breaking up a brawl, with guns, that wouldn’t be out of place in Berlin, circa 1960s. That is out of proportion. The All or Nothing approach, is distorting Law and Order, in Scotland.
SNP, need an opposition that can stop them, the same as any one party state, even with the best intentions, would be a bad idea.