"UK: House of Lords derail Blair's anti-terrorism bill"

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IndianaGreen (5044 posts) Dec-09-01, 10:47 PM (ET) "UK: House of Lords derail Blair's anti-terrorism bill" David Blunkett is the UK's version of our Attorney General. Blunkett can best be described as the Anglo version of Ashcroft. The bill in question is as onerous as the PATRIOT Act and it includes additional provisions that have been proposed by the Bush regime, but not yet implemented or approved by Congress. The main opponents to the bill are the Tories and the very liberal Liberal Democrats. There is some apposition among some of Labour's backbenchers, who have been treated rather shabbily by an increasingly authoritarian Tony Blair. Lords 'sabotage' forces concessions on terror bill Blunkett relents as further rebellion looms next week Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent Saturday December 8, 2001 The Guardian The home secretary, David Blunkett, yesterday tabled concessions on his emergency terror bill, accusing peers of deliberate sabotage after they voted down key planks of the bill on Thursday night. Mr Blunkett said they had shown their fangs, while Downing Street branded the bill's critics, including senior judges, as naive. It emerged that Elizabeth France, the government's information commissioner, has attacked plans in the bill to give police sweeping access to electronic data. She has warned that the proposals breach human rights laws. Despite his criticism of the peers, Mr Blunkett relented on aspects of the bill due to be debated in the Lords next week. On religious incitement, he promised that the attorney general will publish written guidelines making it clear he will not prosecute anyone simply for espousing beliefs based on religious texts. http://www.guardian.co.uk/ukresponse/story/0,11017,615396,00.html   Alert Edit | Reply | Top

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Subject     Author     Message Date     ID    Update: The Independent attacks Blunkett IndianaGreen Dec-10-01 1  Ah, I remember Blunkett Thankfully_in_Britain Dec-10-01 2    Yup, and I've been tracking the bill over in India, as well.... Gloria 12/10/2001 3        Here in America... IndianaGreen 12/10/2001 4

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IndianaGreen (5044 posts) Dec-10-01, 11:53 AM (ET) 1. "Update: The Independent attacks Blunkett" Mr Blunkett has quickly emerged as an intolerant, illiberal Home Secretary 10 December 2001 When David Blunkett was appointed Home Secretary six months ago, he was welcomed by those who thought civil liberties worth protecting. The world has certainly changed since 11 September in that respect, rendering those days of innocence when the Government was going to treat asylum-seekers more humanely a distant memory. Mr Blunkett's contribution to the "war against terrorism" has been to strike a series of authoritarian poses designed more to appease the assumed vengefulness of public opinion – as reflected in the coarser press – than to make the British people genuinely safer from the threat. <snip> His impatience with critics of his Anti-Terrorism Bill suggests that he is more concerned with appearing to be tough on terrorism than with the substance of measures which will enhance security. It is beginning to sound as if he is rattled because he wants his Bill by Christmas and may not get it. As a result, too many of his unformed prejudices have been allowed to surface. His dismissal of civil liberties concerns as "airy-fairy" and those who raise them as "naive" speak of someone who is losing the arguments. http://argument.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/story.jsp?story=109193   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Top

Thankfully_in_Britain (636 posts) Dec-10-01, 02:28 PM (ET) 2. "Ah, I remember Blunkett" David Blunkett used to run Sheffield City Cpouncil when I was little. The city is still paying for his disasterous pork projects today. I'm no fan of the guy. (and let's not forget that he becane home secretary by promising Blair that he would make Jack Straw, his predessessor "look like a liberal") As far as the lords goes the Lords is good like this. Let's not forget that the House of Lords is in many ways the model for the US Senate. The House of Lords has held a great deal of Blairite legislation up to scrutiny it just would not recive in the commons. And no I don't support Blunkett on this legislation. I value my freedom thank you very much. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." - Romans 12:2   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Top

Gloria (386 posts) Dec-10-01, 07:05 PM (ET) Reply to post #2 3. "Yup, and I've been tracking the bill over in India, as well...." POTO, as it's known in India, has been getting creamed. Also been following that one over the last couple of weeks at the World Media Watch at Buzzflash.... Truly, I'm amazed that Britain and India can raise a ruckus over this stuff and yet over here in America.....   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Top

IndianaGreen (5044 posts) Dec-10-01, 07:14 PM (ET) Reply to post #3 4. "Here in America..." We are waiving the American flag and we are shouting USA!, USA!, USA! Meanwhile the Bush regime is happily building the infrastructure for a totalitarian regime while running our Constitution and civil liberties through a paper shredder.   Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Top

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