Are We a Democracy in Disguise

The worrying news of the arrest and questioning of Damien Green, the Conservatives' Shadow Immigration Minister, over Home Office leaks yesterday raises serious questions about the execution of the anti-terror laws that Labour have brought forwards in recent years.

All through the process there has been concern raised that such draconian measures in the wrong hands could lead to major concerns over the democratic process. But who would ever have thought that those wrong hands would actually be those of the Labour party. A party that themselves were often under investigation for communist leanings, as any reader of Tony Benn's diaries will be aware. As Chris Huhne the Liberal Democrat Shadow for Home Affairs said:

"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."

When the civil rights of an opposition Member of Parliament to carry out his role of scrutinising are threatened because of information he may or may not have become privy to how can we effectively have a parliamentary democracy? Are we any better than that Zimbabwe? As David Davis put it on the Today programme:

"None of this put in any way national intelligence, national security, or international relations at risk - yet we end up with a situation that is in some way reminiscent of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, with an Opposition spokesman being arrested for nine hours. It is extraordinary, frankly."

Where is the government moving the line to? Are they deliberately trying to hinder scrutiny? If so, what do they have to hide?

There are a lot of questions about such legislation being used against a legislator and this latest incident means it is definitely time for the powers invested in these areas are properly addressed. This is just another step along the wrong path where too much alleged need to protect is impinging on civil liberties to go about as normally as possible.

Grauniad Fnuks Up

Stephen Tall obviously is more high up the blogging food chain that I. As Martin Wainwright the Guardian journalist has sent him a email regarding the quote yesterday that David Davis said us Lib Dems had funked it.

Just to alert you asap to the fact that the quote attributed to David Davis by me about the LIb Dems 'funking it' was my fault - putting you in with Labour in a rush - and we are running a correction. Sorry, age and haste. The Correct quote is on the Guardian audio material on the website. The draft correction I’ve just sent reads:

In a piece on the Haltemprice and Howden by-election published on July 9, we wrongly quoted the Conservative candidate David Davis as saying that the Liberal Democrats had 'funked' the poll. He has always made it clear that he is grateful for the Liberal Democrats' support for his views on the 42 day detention and related civil liberties issues. The mistake was made in transcription of the related audio report which carried his actual comments, and we apologise for that.

Sadly it means that in this electronic age the Grauniad is still as prone to errors as in the days they could blame it on the typesetter. But apologies to Mr Davis was writing this yesterday.

David Davis Funking It

UPDATE ALERT: Please see here for follow up which actually makes the whole thrust of the below irrelevant and incorrect.

In today's Gruaniad David Davis makes a massive faux pas. Talking about the upcopming by election he perpetrated in Haltemprice and Howden he said about his stance of civil liberties:

"It's going to cost us some votes, but it's what I said I'd do. We're not here to score another easy 'Crewe and Nantwich'. I'm sorry that Labour and the Liberal Democrats funked it, but we're still having a good argument and getting the issue raised." This is true, sometimes to politically suicidal lengths."

Now come on Mr Davis, if you hadn't a wee word with that nice Nick Clegg fellow on the night of the vote on 42 days, gained an assurance that if you resigned we would not have put up a candidate from second place against you, would you have stood?

Just what sort of funk are you talking about? Funk is defined as to shrink from in fright or dread or to be afraid of. As a party all our MPs voted against the 42 days detention, not scared there. We didn't stand against you as you intitial said this was about a principle and you were challenging the prinicple or lack of the government. We weren't afraid to support you on that, yet now you wait until after nominations have closed to call us scared.

So David Davis I put it to you that it is actually you who has funked it not the Liberal Democrats.

Hat tips where due to Tony Greaves via Stephen Tall at Lib Dem Voice.

Queen to Steer Clear of Hull and David By-Election

The Queen's political neutrality may be in jeopardy if a planned visit Hull close to Haltemprice and Howden goes ahead.

Labour's refusal to pick up the jauntlet laid down by David Davis over their policy of 42 days detention without charge, means with all due respect to the Miss Great Britain Party, Generalist Party, various independents and The Mad Cow Girl of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party into a somewhat neutral by election anyway.

I just hope the Queen isn't secretly a Offial Monster Raving Looney supporter and that is why her neutrality on this issue is at stake. Although like the late Screaming Lord Sutch she does stand out on the sartorial stake. I once had the pleasure of meeting Lord Sutch while he was promoting Sekonda watches in one of my department's 'prestige' watch windows in Shaftesbury Avenue so maybe the Queen might be somewhere on the horizon.

I certainly hope it's not for fear of mixing her and the Mad Cow Girl up.

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Anyone?

There is going to be a by election in Haltemprice and Howden following the shock resignation of David Davis the Conservative Home Secretary.

It takes one back to the days when the House of Commons was a place of principle, and top hats and tail were in abundance in the lobbies. Prime Minsters would call a general election if the commons went against them on an important vote. Minsters upon appointment would resign their seat and face a by election, this was how Winston Churchill and others found themselves unexpectedly outside the commons and seeking another seat.

So if there is such a great matter of principle at stake over yesterdays vote how about the member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath following Mr Davis example resigning his seat and facing the public on this issue on the same day? Two seats, two opposing views both up for the public vote.

Of course the Right 'Honourable' Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath will probably cite some reason why this cannot happen and he cannot do the right thing, sorry proper thing to follow Frank Cook's excellent example from the debate. Things such as running the country, fighting the war on terror, fending off the economic disaster facing our country, looking after the wife and kids. So I'll happily in this age of new found chivalry accept his champion.

So therefore instead of another Fife By Election we just have to make do with Redditch seat of Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary, who so clearly also thinks this is a principled stance. Let he defend her Labour majority of 3.6% over the Tories. Although in light of there being some division in Tory ranks over just what they think on this issue can we please be sure that the candidate to take on this battle really is against the 42 days detention without charge. Maybe a unity candidate, who leaves us in no doubt how they stand on this, someone like Tony Benn.