Tag Archives: civil liberties

Opinion: Genuine chance for Lib Dem breakthrough

By Mark Hanson | Mon 15th June 2009 - 1:20 pm

In the current tumultuous political times, both Labour and the Conservatives are clothes shopping, trying on different shades of a variety of colours. Labour has embraced the True Blue capitalist philosophies, and the Tories are trying to show themselves as champions of the poor and oppressed.

Yet the Liberal Democrats are sitting comfortably in their well-worn pants of proportional representation and civil libertarian values. Sitting comfortably is not an option in politics.

The issue of PR is being seriously considered by Labour, and the Conservatives are now attempting to portray themselves as the friends of liberty. This is a real challenge …

Posted in The Independent View | Also tagged electoral reform | 9 Comments

Want to hear Chris Huhne speak on ‘Threats to Civil Liberties’?

By The Voice | Mon 4th May 2009 - 7:29 am

If you’re answer is yes, the the following notice will be of interest to you:

British Institute of Human Rights Lunchtime Lecture
Tuesday 5 May, 1 -2 pm
Threats to Civil Liberties
Chris Huhne MP, Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department

Chris Huhne MP will present the Liberal Democrats’ perspective on a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities and discuss their own Freedom Bill. Lecture to be followed by a Q&A.

Venue: Mander Hall, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9DB

Booking information: There is no charge to attend our lectures, but it is necessary

…

Posted in News | Also tagged chris huhne | 2 Comments

The Independent View: Statebook – knowledge is power

By Jim Killock | Mon 13th April 2009 - 12:30 pm

Launching our spoof Statebook website and campaign this bank holiday, we knew we’d be tapping into a strong and growing public unease about digital privacy.

Data leaks, massive government IT projects and ‘data retention’ are creating a sense that things in this area are going in the wrong direction. Perhaps people aren’t aware of all the details – but they know there’s a problem.

Statebook tries to bridge that gap by illustrating the wealth of information the government already holds on you, and how the government wants to get its hands on even more if it can – popularising the …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Also tagged database state and facebook | 1 Comment

Taking action on RIPA – what Oldham has done

By The Voice | Fri 3rd April 2009 - 9:20 am

From their press release:

STATEMENT RE: COUNCIL USE OF SURVEILLANCE LAWS

Councillor Howard Sykes, leader of Oldham Council said: “Following a recent review of the council’s use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, elected members are now consulted before the act is used in Oldham. This gives the council an additional level of oversight, something that most other council’s in the country do not do …

“During an inspection on 1 January 2009, by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners, the government body appointed to oversee those allowed to commission surveillance, all of the council’s authorizations for surveillance were lawful.

“We will

…

Posted in News | Also tagged howard sykes, oldham council and ripa | 2 Comments

Freedom Bill launched

By Mark Pack | Thu 26th February 2009 - 12:39 pm

Chris Huhne and colleagues have just finished a press conference in Cowley Street, launching the party’s draft Freedom Bill. As he writes for Comment is Free:

There has always been a problem for civil libertarians. The sacrifices of freedoms made by successive governments often seem small, particularly when they are pushed through at times of panic about terrorism. Each time, the government argues that you only need to give up a modest amount of freedom or rights to win greater security. And what could be more free than life itself? Yet the cumulative effects of this salami-slicing have now become deeply

…

Posted in News | Also tagged chris huhne and freedom bill | 7 Comments

CC all your email to Jacqui Smith Day

By Alex Foster | Tue 3rd February 2009 - 4:04 pm

The Government have plans to start a massive database recording every phone call you make, every email you send, and every text you remove the vowels from. They have named this bizarre plan the Interception Modernisation Programme, which hardly sounds reassuring, and is still more concerning as the acronym IMP.

But just as the plan to exempt MPs from the FOI bill spurred an impressive new generation of campaigning via Twitter, the big mad database plan has prompted some novel forms of protest.

“CC your email to Jacqui Smith Day” is a group and a fan page on Facebook that …

Posted in Big mad database and Online politics | Also tagged civil disobedience, civil rights, home secretary and jacqui smith | 2 Comments

Opinion: Civil liberties in a modern context

By Lynne Featherstone | Mon 2nd February 2009 - 12:41 pm

What does an innocent person have to fear?” That’s one of the most common arguments rolled out time and time again to justify chipping away at our freedoms. If you’re innocent why should you be worried if the government can do X, knows Y or stops Z?

The counter-arguments tend to be a mix of principle and pragmatism. Principled arguments around issues such as rights that we have as humans and the restrictions there should be on what governments can do. Pragmatic arguments such as the costs (e.g. spend money on ID cards or on police?), practicalities (e.g. what odds that …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged baby p, haringey council and lynne featherstone | 2 Comments

Opinion: Lib Dems need to attack the Tory record on civil liberties, too

By Terry Gilbert | Sun 18th January 2009 - 12:20 pm

I read Alex Foster’s ‘Enough is Enough’ article on LDV, condemning the Labour Government for its shortcomings on civil liberties, with interest. But, as one who reached voting age under the first Thatcher Government, I can’t help thinking that, whatever the failings of Labour, the Tories would have been a darn sight worse.

It is true that some Tories may appear to have ‘discovered’ liberty in the last year or two. But I suspect this is merely a marketing reaction to the slow (but fairly steady) growth of the Liberal Democrats since the 1980s. The Tory Party showed precious little …

Posted in News | Also tagged alex foster and conservative party | 6 Comments

Baker: “innocent train-spotters” hassled under anti-terrorism laws

By Stephen Tall | Tue 6th January 2009 - 9:14 am

Lib Dem MP Norman Baker has revealed that an astonishing 150,000 have been questioned by police at railway stations under the aegis of legislation designed to prevent terrorists. The Telegraph has the full story:

The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000 has been used to stop 62,584 people at railway stations and another 87,000 were questioned under “stop and search” and “stop and account” legislation. Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker, who uncovered the figures, warned that Britain was heading towards a “police state”.

He said: “Law-abiding passengers get enough hassle on overcrowded trains as it is without the added inconvenience

…

Posted in News | Also tagged anti-terrorist legislation, norman baker and trainspotting | 3 Comments

Enough is enough

By Alex Foster | Mon 5th January 2009 - 9:22 am

Anyone from any political persuasion can list things this Government has done that annoy them.

Personally, I was annoyed enough to join millions of others on the march against the war in Iraq – now it’s time to hold them to account.

I’m not so sure how I will react if and when I get the orders from the Government to present myself at the interrogation centre in nearby Derby and hand over more personal information than is currently demanded from sex offenders. I’m not certain I’m ready to join Simon Hughes in jail for refusing an ID card.

I’ve never …

Posted in News and Online politics | Also tagged civil rights, convention for moden liberty, database state, id cards, iraq, james graham, magna carta, magna carta did she die in vain, scary and simon hughes | 5 Comments

Islington Council wins appeal over registrar who refused to carry out same-sex marriages

By Mark Pack | Sat 20th December 2008 - 7:50 am

The BBC reports:

A council has won its appeal against a ruling it discriminated against a Christian registrar who refused to conduct same-sex civil partnerships.

Lillian Ladele said she could not carry out same-sex ceremonies “as a matter of religious conscience”.

An Employment Tribunal found in July that Islington Council, in north London, had unlawfully discriminated against her.

But an Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has now upheld the authority’s appeal…

Islington councillor John Gilbert said: “The council is extremely pleased with this decision which it believes to be the right one.”

You can read the full story here. Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrats equalities spokesperson, …

Posted in News | Also tagged islington council and lynne featherstone | 13 Comments

How leaked was my data?

By Alix Mortimer | Wed 17th December 2008 - 4:11 pm

The Open Rights Group have a questionnaire which tells you right here.

Yours truly got off lightly, with only one certain leak (I knew that TKMaxx shoe habit would come back to haunt me) and no possible leaks. But as one of society’s carless, propertyless and largely moneyless non-stakeholders I am atypical. The moral of the story seems to be don’t drive, don’t get ill, don’t have a mortgage, don’t seek employment with any public service and don’t allow your children to go on TV (and definitely don’t have children). Oh, and on no account

…

Posted in News | Also tagged open rights group | 1 Comment

Whither the liberal Tories now?

By Alix Mortimer | Wed 13th August 2008 - 9:30 am

Well, that was the Cameronian mood music that was. A Conservative government, announced shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve yesterday, would amend current legislation so that the police would no longer need to seek higher authorisation in order to do the following to any citizen they please:

Use covert video or listening devices in premises or vehicles.
Watch premises to identify or arrest suspects.
Conduct visual surveillance of public locations.
Patrol, in uniform or plain clothes.
Use thermal imaging and X-ray technology.
Conduct surveillance using visible CCTV cameras.

That’s quite some capability to be put in the hands of every Detective

…

Posted in News | Also tagged eric pickles | 28 Comments

Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

What’s going on with party strategy?

A strange but welcome feeling

Observations of an Expat: The Elephant Returns

Tag Archives: civil liberties

Opinion: Genuine chance for Lib Dem breakthrough

Want to hear Chris Huhne speak on ‘Threats to Civil Liberties’?

The Independent View: Statebook – knowledge is power

Taking action on RIPA – what Oldham has done

Freedom Bill launched

CC all your email to Jacqui Smith Day

Opinion: Civil liberties in a modern context

Opinion: Lib Dems need to attack the Tory record on civil liberties, too

Baker: “innocent train-spotters” hassled under anti-terrorism laws

Enough is enough

Islington Council wins appeal over registrar who refused to carry out same-sex marriages

How leaked was my data?

Whither the liberal Tories now?

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Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

What’s going on with party strategy?

A strange but welcome feeling

Observations of an Expat: The Elephant Returns

Tag Archives: civil liberties

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