Corrupted Politicians and Politicised Policing

At least The Sunday Times Leading Article today is on the nation's shame. Read here, a quote:

The hypocrisy of a government that took the dark arts of spin to new levels apparently knows no bounds. Last Sunday’s newspapers and the airwaves were full of well-informed, deliberate leaks about the contents of Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report. The only surprise when he stood to deliver the report on Monday was that there were no surprises. For new Labour, there are leaks and leaks; those that are politically advantageous and those that are politically embarrassing.

Gordon Brown knows this better than most. Many have commented on how he and his aides used Whitehall leaks to embarrass the Tories in the run-up to the 1997 general election. What is less well known is that the tactic continued in government, particular at the heights of new Labour’s internal battles, though this time the leaks were used to undermine Mr Blair and his allies.

There is another issue here: the fact that counterterrorist officers were used in the raids on Mr Green’s homes and offices. Not only was this extraordinarily heavy-handed but it also played straight into civil-liberties concerns about whether the police will abuse any extra powers parliament gives them to cope with the terrorist threat. On this occasion Britain’s liberties were indeed threatened. The hounding of Mr Green shames the government and the police.

An interesting selection of comments to the report on the implications of the scandal in The Independent on Sunday, here.