NO2ID

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... trol-state

Cameron renounces the 'control state'

News of the extraordinary state that Britain has got itself into has taken a long time to percolate to the outside world, but when people abroad begin to understand the extent to which the British have been robbed of their freedoms by the Labour government, they are astonished by the lack of reaction in parliament and from the people.

In New York, where I am now, there is only a vague understanding of the way in which the British state has moved into the personal sphere and is claiming, for itself, a near total access to people's personal data, but when it is explained Americans ask "how could this happen with a free press and a people famous for their truculent respect for liberty and privacy." The answer is complicated but essentially it is because we weren't paying attention and we have one of the most indolent parliaments in history.

But it is also the case that Labour has pursued this part of its agenda with great dispatch and subtlety while the opposition did not find a voice to resist what was an extensive programme of attack. That has now been corrected in a welcome speech from David Cameron. I will write more thoroughly about this next week but the important point is that he has confirmed that if elected, the Conservatives will roll back the attack on privacy and restore some of the rights we have lost.

...

So which ones will not be restored?

Justin.

Well I know it doesnt count for anything but about a year or two ago I wrote to Cameron asking him what he would do about the current situation should he & the Conservatives gain power at the next election.

I asked if he would have the strength of conviction to roll back some of the truely dangerous laws or if he would commit to a review of all laws currently on the books and would he consider review and revoking where appropiate the powers of such people as the police and other executive arms of the government where it is obvious that those offices have abused & not used the powers in the spirit they were introduced for.

Now this was a while ago but I did recieve a reply and not the standard, your comments have been taken onboard rubbish, which indicated that Cameron was indeed open to all of my suggestions and indeed thought something must be done.

In the light of the current local/EU results perhaps its time we all wrote something along those lines to the Conservative party so they can see the strength of feeling about how things have spiralled out of control.

Fine to be cynical Justin but it's an awful lot more than Labour is offering.

gift horse and all that!

No, it is incredibly important now to have the most forensic possible detail on exactly what Cameron will roll back and what will be conveniently ignored.

Get this gift horse in the dentist's chair, sedate, retract lips to fullest possible extent, examine teeth, gums, palate and tongue under high-intensity full-spectrum illumination.

Cameron is not to be taken at his word any more than any other politician. They are all liars, without one exception. Lying is simply what they do.

Guest

Take it from somebody with a couple of nags in the back garden that horses can be as much a liability as an asset, especially when gifted.

Justin.

It a marker of the impact campaigns such as ours have made, it ties neatly into small state neo-liberalism and rolling back the frontiers of the state. Can cameron halt the rise of biometric industry, credit reference agencies and corporate monopolies from managing our ID? Can he develop a localised means of proving your ID that ensures privacy? Will IPS give up their plans? Will our campaigners give up now the conservatives look set to take power? Already had one person say im wasting my time and should just vote Tory now.

All th emore reason for as many of us as possible to write to the conservative party asking these questions and making these issues rise to the top so we can pin it down at last.