Iain Dale (http://iaindale.blogspot.com) writes:
In their latest attempt to scare the living daylights out of the British people John Reid and Sir Ian Blair tell us that the prospect of an attempted terrorist attack is "ever present, of an unparalleld nature and growing." Sir Ian adds for good measure "it is a far graver threat in terms of civilians than either the Cold War or the Second World War." Come again? The entire civilian population was at risk from nuclear attack in the Cold War and civilian casualties in London during World War II amounted to tens of thousands. Sir Ian should know that careless talk costs lives. Language like this is pathetic and smacks of crying wolf.
The government operates a system of alerts on terrorist threats and it has been set at SEVERE since July 2005. I am beginning to question why this is. It is appalling to accuse the government of trying to scare the population into accepting yet more draconian anti-terror legislation, but that's what appears to be happening. We mustn't let them succeed.
Quite. But Iain is an A-list Tory candidate. So, what are the Tories doing to stop all of this? On the contrary, they are egging it on, and would even be backing ID cards if right-wing journalists and bloggers hadn't forced them not to.
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David, I don;t know what planet you are living on but most of the right wing commentators (Heffer, Hitchens et al) like ID cards - as indeed do a significant minority of Tory MPs. To find that the Conservative leadership is leading the debate against authoritarian measures is a refreshing change I hope even you would welcome. David Davis has argued consistently against needless authoritarian measures and will continue to do so. Just because we don't fit your picture of identikit Tories shouldn;t blind you to a good thing when you see it.
ReplyDeleteIain, Peter Hitchens in particular certainly does NOT like ID cards, and good for him. These things started in earnest under Michael Howard, i.e., when David Davis was Home Office Minister.
ReplyDeleteTo put it very politely, I remain to be convinced that the Cameroons' heart is in the fight against them. As you yourself say, "a significant minority of Tory MPs"...
Alas, that "significant minority" may yet save all manner of "authoritarian measures", including ID cards, from a "significant minority" of Labour MPs.
David, well said.
ReplyDeleteWe must remember that most politicians when presented with power grasp it with everything they have, when the opportunity for even more power emerges, they rarely pass up the chance, and history teaches us that only under the greatest of duress and force of arms is it given back to the people.
We must beware, there is something nasty going on in Britain today.
http://thejournal.parker-joseph.co.uk/blog/_archives/2007/1/3/2616067.html