An Assault on Liberty and Democracy
Monday, December 1st, 2008
If you don’t know what the title of this post refers to, you must have had your head in the sand for the last few days. The arrest of Damian Green, the Conservative Shadow Immigration Minister, represents an unjustifiable and alarming attack on the principles that this country should hold dear. Indeed, these principles (respect for democracy, transparent government, the rule of law) are concepts that we are currently fighting two wars for, in an effort to promote them around the globe. So do not take this story lightly.
On LBC Radio this morning, Nick Ferrari described the significance of this story as “second only to the death of a Princess” – such are the constitutional implications. This blog is not going to go over the ins and outs of the case, for these facts are available elsewhere. The reason that YBF is taking such an interest in the story is because liberty and freedom are the two values that spend we our time trying to defend and promote. People donate to YBF because they share our belief in liberty and freedom. Students attend our courses and politicians support our work for the same reason.
The arrest of a political opponent for revealing embarrassing information about our Dear Leader’s Government marks a dramatic point on the timeline of the erosion of our civil liberties. When the Government introduced its new wave of ‘anti terror laws’ we were reassured that there would be safeguards, caveats and procedures that would prevent the new powers from being abused. But what have we witnessed in recent months?
- Anti terror laws have allowed councils to spy on the recycling habits of citizens
- Anti terror laws were used to freeze the assets of Iceland
- Anti terror laws are used to spy on parents’ school runs to check which catchment are they live in
- Anti terror laws were used to detain an elderly protester at the Labour Party Conference, who had the audacity to shout “nonsense” during a speech
- Anti terror laws are used to prevent democratic protests in our nation’s capital
Not one of the above examples constitutes a threat to national security. This has got to stop.
We live in a free country. We are free citizens. True, we didn’t vote for our Prime Minister, but in exchange for us putting up with that he at least should respect and uphold our fundamental democratic rights. We have walked in to this state of affairs with our eyes half shut – believing the Government’s rhetoric about its “first duty being to protect the citizens” and trusting the over zealous tabloid papers who peddle lines such as “nothing to hide, nothing to fear.”
Now is the time when we must say “no more.” For when all is said and done, who really wins from this state of affairs? We may lie in bed at night and ‘feel safe’ from terrorism, but what is that feeling worth when it has been paid for by surrendering our basic rights and values? Bank accounts seized, assets frozen, councils spying on us, elderly protesters man handled, ID cards looming, police raiding Parliament with impunity, emails intercepted… and all for what? Security? The ability to continue living in a free country?
My urgent advice to activists is this: collect your thoughts. Talk to each other. Make a plan, and then stand up and fight with all the passion and urgency of a nation under attack.
Christian May.