Exclusive: David Davis wants 28 days detention reduced to 4
Tory MP David Davis gave an excellent speech at the end of the Convention on Modern Liberty. Just read it when it goes online. I asked him afterwards to confirm a point he had made to me a few weeks earlier. He says he would ideally like to see the pre-charge detention period, which the government recently attempted to increase to 42 days, to be reduced to 4 days. Wow.
He prefaced his point by saying that the Americans had a pre-charge detention period of 48 hours. This is because authorities are allowed to use intercept evidence. Davis said if authorities in the UK are allowed to use intercept evidence, there’s no reason why pre-charge detention should be more than four days. I’m impressed.
Supporting the Libdem Freedom Bill
While Labour continues to devise yet more illiberal policies and the Tories fail to convince that they will be an improvement, it is heartening to see that at least one of our major parties is making a firm and principled stand on the issue of civil liberties.
The Liberal Democrats have unveiled their “Freedom Bill” aimed at rolling back some of the restrictions on our freedoms imposed by Labour and the Tories in the last two decades.
It contains twenty proposals:
What would you ask them?
Hello all, I’m at the Convention on Modern Liberty today, as expected. The Liberal Conspiracy/Comment is Free joint event will be held at lunchtime, 1-2pm. Joining me in a panel discussion will be:
Phil Booth – from No2ID
Heather Brooke – Your Right To Know
Ben Goldacre – Bad Science
Sam Smith – My Society
Do readers who can’t make the event have any questions they’d like to put to them? I’m happy to put some forward during the discussion.
Top Stories – 28th February
Nationwide
Minorities disproportionately scanned for ID
Civil servants using anti-terror laws to spy on public
Impasse continues over Goodwin pension
Is the BNP becoming Cumbria’s cup of tea?
International
Bombers intercepted before Obama visit
Obama’s decision to end war greeted with optimism
American taste for soft toilet roll disastrous
Net rooms boom with Japan’s jobless
WEEKEND VIDEO / by Sunny
Carnival of Modern Liberty
Welcome to the sixth Carnival on Modern Liberty. We’re back at Liberal Conspiracy, in eager anticipation of the Convention on Modern Liberty which will be taking place today (as if you didn’t know…).
My thanks to Our Kingdom, Lib Dem Voice, Yorksher Gob and Wardman Wire for keeping it going over the past few weeks.
continue reading… »
How do we deal with poverty?
Over at CentreRight, Jill Kirby eviscerates the ’shamelessly cheerful’ Harriet Harman for attending the launch of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report into poverty, inequality & government policy.
She interprets the report like so:
As we stare into the pit of a plunging labour market, there is not much for the Government to be proud of. While she wages war on Mandy, staking out her place as the true champion of equality, Hattie would do well to apologise – on behalf of all her colleagues and especially her erstwhile friend and mentor Gordon Brown – for the wasted years, the wasted billions and the wasted opportunities. Opportunites to create a pro-work, pro-family welfare system with reduced dependency and genuine (not grade-inflated) educational opportunities for all. It’s no good telling us you cared, or asking us to let you try more of the same. You had your chance (and our money) and you blew it. You might at least say sorry.
There’s a little too much tubthumping here for this to be a fair analysis.
continue reading… »
Does this banking mess undermine free markets?
Alastair Darling’s announcement of a £600 billion guarantee to RBS and Lloyds raises more questions than it answers. Perhaps, because we’ve gotten used to the idea of big bank bailouts since the economy is in such dire straits, there isn’t strong opposition to the idea.
It’s no different in the US, where they’re trying to figure out what to do with Citigroup, which is perilously close to collapse.
But all this raises some very difficult questions for people who believe in free-markets.
continue reading… »
How journalists can get back at PC Plod
In light of news that the public is no longer allowed to take pictures of the police, I’d like to point out a possible scenario which local reporters may have to go through in the future.
I say this as:
a) a crime reporter, who frequently comes into contact with coppers,
b) as a reporter in a city where there is a seriously big presence by both navy and army and
c) as a reporter of some years, who has heard everything in relation to the moral panic over paedophiles and terrorists…
continue reading… »
Top Stories – 27th February
Nationwide
Govt admits handing over suspects for rendition
Council bosses told to reveal pay and perks
Byrne: Civil service ‘not good enough’
Government plans to keep DNA samples of innocent
International
Crisis in the US newspaper industry
Dhaka mutineers surrender but violence spreads
Clinton wants unity on Afghanistan, Pakistan
Japan’s industrial production falls steeply
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Douglas Johnson
Jennie – points out some basic truths about torture.
Two Doctors - Labour’s plans for post offices mark their entry into Scorched Earth territoy.
Pickled Politics - has an interesting pipe-dream on what we could do with lying newspaper editors…
Hagley Road to Ladywood - on the government’s latest policy initiative: One Lie for every One Month. Good slogan, bad idea.
Socialist Unity - Is the gulf between Union’s membership and its leadership really so huge that the leader feels the need for a police cordon to protect him from his own members?
And, to break with politics for a moment – Sadie’s Tavern has a picture of an obscenely good looking pie. Curse my lack of an oven…
Claimants’ Charter
In the Second Reading debate of the Welfare Reform Bill, the Secretary of State James Purnell indicated that he would be prepared to look at the idea of a ‘Claimants’ Charter’, setting out the rights that those claiming state benefits and accessing employment services can expect.
Citizens Advice, the Disability Alliance, Child Poverty Action Group and Gingerbread have put together a draft Claimants’ Charter. I’m posting it for discussion as it is a draft and they welcome comments on it, but also request that if you agree with it, please contact your MP and ask them to support its inclusion into any future legislation on welfare reform (regardless of what you or they think about the rest of the Welfare Reform Bill).
continue reading… »
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» Revealed: govt to restrict abortion counselling despite Nadine Dorries vote
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» Today’s economic figures will simply confirm UK’s “lost decade”
» Have Labour realised the election is more than three years away?
» Violence in the office
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» The world is entering the third phase of the crisis, warns ILO
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