Britain's Vanishing Liberties & Freedoms

Practising for the 2012 London Olympics The Daily Telegraph reports that local councils have used anti-terrorism legislation more than 20,000 times for non- terrorist inquiries, even as petty as the theft of Christmas Tree lights, read here. Surely this image is now representing the greater fear? If you think this an exaggeration of the state into which the country is deteriorating then consider this Parliamentary Point of Order raised by one of the MP Maggots who seem to assume the fascist laws they increasingly pass only apply to others - We, the under-trodden citizen.

Point of Order

John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab): On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I wish to draw attention to the fact that when I left the sitting of Parliament on Friday and passed through Parliament square and into Birdcage walk, I was detained by the police on a stop and search on the basis of the use of anti-terrorism legislation. That follows on from what happened only a few weeks ago during our campaign against the third runway. One of our campaigners, who was simply taking photographs of the properties that will be demolished if the proposed third runway goes ahead, was also detained, stopped and searched under anti-terrorism legislation.

I make this point of order to draw attention to the fact that the use of that power is becoming random and affecting Members and our constituents in a way that I believe is in complete contradiction to the way in which we legislated, which was for the selective use of the powers to prevent terrorism rather than to harass MPs and the overall community.

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Michael Lord): The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that that is not immediately a matter for the Chair, but his points are firmly on record and I am sure that Mr. Speaker will want to take note of them.

23 Mar 2009 : Column 50 Different views on torture and the terrorist threat may be read in a letter to The Times by a group of Peers, linked here, and a site devoted to the terrorist threat called Contingency Today, linked here. Note the quote above from a member of the clearly now Fascist New Labour Party itself, elect mindless automatons and mindless fascist legislation is what you will surely get: "I make this point of order to draw attention to the fact that the use of that power is becoming random...in a way that I believe is in complete contradiction to the way in which we legislated, which was for the selective use of the powers to prevent terrorism rather than to harass MPs and the overall community." Parliamentarians are paid to consider the likely consequences of the laws they pass, not just to harangue and fiddle their expenses!