When David Blunkett reckons civil liberties are being eroded, you know something's seriously wrong. The most authoritarian Home Secretary in living memory has expressed concerns about the government's plans to create a database which will record details of every phone call made and every email sent. He is of course right to voice these concerns. But does anyone seriously think that if he was still Home Secretary, he wouldn't be proudly advocating exactly the same plans?
"He is of course right to voice these concerns."
ReplyDeleteOr opportunistic...
"But does anyone seriously think that if he was still Home Secretary, he wouldn't be proudly advocating exactly the same plans?"
Of course he would!
"The most authoritarian Home Secretary in living memory has expressed concerns about the government's plans to create a database which will record details of every phone call made and every email sent."
ReplyDelete...and not forgetting every Blog visited - how long, then, before people start thinking twice about commenting on so called 'Right Wing Blogs'?
Blunkett is of course right to speak out against this, but knows full well nobody is listening to him - JuliaM is right, opportunistic it the word...
He would be enacting exactly the same policies if he was Home Secretary. He has an 'extreme gene' in his body. As Leader of Sheffield City Council he revolted against just about anything central government instructed him to do. As Home Secretary he became the poacher turned gamekeeper.
ReplyDeleteThe stupidity of this policy is that it will overload the ability of the scrutineers and remove any possibility to watch those in need of watching.
ReplyDeleteIt will have no bearing on our privacy as they will be incapable of watching the universe.
Does Blunkett know what civil liberties are?
ReplyDeleteHe certainly does know about taking liberties, though. You know - with other people's wives, grace and favour houses, ministerial cars, travel expenses etc etc.
He really is unprincipled - so why should anyone pay attention to what he has to say for himself now?
The stupidity of this policy is that it will overload the ability of the scrutineers and remove any possibility to watch those in need of watching.
ReplyDeleteIt will have no bearing on our privacy as they will be incapable of watching the universe.
In theory yes.
However they have many things that can help them like computers that can pick out certain words or phrases.
They can also simply monitor those that they wish too that are already on some kind of UNDESIRABLES list.
Please do not think for one second that the system is only interested is shutting down Muslim terrorists.
It wants to shut up the British Public. In many cases, for once and for all.
He presumably couldn't wangle a consultancy with a company bidding for the telephone and email monitoring contract.
ReplyDeleteHe's just worried that the future ex Mrs Blunkett will be able to find out about his next dalliance.
ReplyDeleteThere are some people who should not be given 'the oxygen of publicity'. Blunkett is one. Even a post such as yours gives too much credence.
ReplyDeleteMandelson is another but we are stuck with having to watch him very carefully.