New Home Secretary:  Will he reverse the trend of the Big Brother state?

Politicians trumpet that we live in a free society.  But define free?  Certainly our right to privacy can be called into question.  The right to privacy in the UK is a complex issue.  Some laws protect privacy others undermine it but what is true is that all of us…are watched, monitored and a huge amount of data is held on us.  As a Conservative who cherishes liberty I find this trend towards Orwell’s Big Brother State deeply distressing.

What we can see is that under Labour moves made, legislation passed, power granted and and even proposals in place seek an undeniable intrusion into our lives.  Alan Johnson, the new Home Secretary, has a chance to reverse this tide of suppression but will he?  Or will he be too busy plotting his autumn Leadership Campaign against Gordon Brown?

Let’s look at some of the intrusions into our lives………………….

National ID Card Scheme

 The Government’s centerpiece policy initiative, which looks like it could be dumped due to lack of support, is the National Identity Card Scheme and more importantly the National Identity Register, (NIR).  If this database ever saw the light of day it would be the world’s biggest database, (biometric database), which would hold 52 bits of private information on every citizen who is in the UK for more than 3 months.  This data includes up to 10 fingerprints, digitised facial scan and iris scan, current and past UK and overseas places of residence.  That’s some data!

Then Home Secretary David Blunkett stated in 2004 that the cards would stop people using multiple identities and boost the fight against terrorism and organised crime.   However, groups like Liberty question this pointing to Spanish ID Cards not stopping the Madrid Train Bombings.  Thankfully, then Home Secretary Charles Clarke admitted that ID card would not have prevented the London train & bus bombings.  Hence, TBB concludes that the ID scheme and NIR would be a huge waste of tax payers money, (estimated by the LSE as costing between £12 – £18bn),  in a crippling recession and a massive intrusion into our lives for little overall benefit.

Surveillance

Already the Government keeps large amounts of information on every one of us.  But what is even more scary is how safe and secure the government is in looking after our data, (lost briefcases, lost disks, lost papers on the train show data is not protected and respected by the state).  In the past few years the data of over 30 million people has been lost.  What sort of data is this?  Bank details, national insurance details, child benefit details and the poor armed forces have been truly exposed when their personal data has been lost.

Why does the state want to watch us and hold more information?  It does so under the guise of fighting terrorism and preventing crime.  Holding data on us helps officials in data mining and being able to use modern methods of fighting and preventing crime.  It does this by detecting unusual behaviours in patterns of data generated on its mining searches.  Some groups would say this is surveillance without any founding of suspicious grounding.  Hence challenging and intruding to our liberty. 

Of course surveillance also includes reviewing our emails, telephone calls and text messages.  Liberty estimates that nearly 440,000 authorisations for communications traffic data (the record of emails, telephone calls and text messages) took place between June 2005 and March 2006.  That is phenomenal. 

The Government had proposed to go further in monitoring our lives.  But backed down.  Then Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, ruled out building a single state “super-database” to track everybody’s use of email, internet, text messages and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  Smith said creating a ‘single database’ run by the state to hold such personal data would amount to an extreme intrusion of personal privacy.  But….But……..Instead the Home Office is looking at a £2bnsolution that would involve requiring communications companies such as BT, Virgin Media, O2 and others to retain such personal data for up to 12 months.  This lies in the in-tray of Alan Johnson’s desk.

So to clarify, while the super database is currently off the agenda, communications companies will be required by legislation to ensure that all traffic data – who sent a text to whom at what time and from where – is filed and kept in Britain. They will also store additional third-party data crossing their networks including phone calls and internet use from outside Europe.  This goes far beyond the current data collected for billing purposes. The companies will also be asked to organise the data – for example, matching it where it relates to the same person so that the authorities can access it in a form that is immediately usable.  Smith admitted that while the new system could record a visit to a social network such as Facebook, it would not record personal and private information such as photos or messages posted to a page….yet!

National DNA Database

Set up in 1995, the National DNA Database contains profiles (taken from samples) recovered from crime scenes, and taken from anyone arrested for a recordable offence, (even if they are not subsequently charged with any offence). What is frightening is the very definition of what is a recordable crime.  Could you believe that this even includes begging and being drunk in a public place…..totally minor offences and not a threat to national security!

How big is this DNA database?    It is estimated to contain 4.5 million samples.  This makes the NDNAD the largest per capita database in the world. So what does this mean?  Well in the UK  many thousands of innocent people, including an estimated 40 000 innocent children, have their DNA permanently stored.  What is also fascinating to understand is that the DNA database is proving discriminatory.  At current rates half of all ethnic men will be on the database by 2010.

CCTV

Conclusion

A long blog piece but one that hopefully demonstrates that the Conservatives could have another issue that could prove an election winner.  People hate intrusion and seeing their privacy and individual liberty curtailed.  Time for David Cameron to start pressuring the Government who have an atrocious record in this area.  Come on DC let’s roll back the state and champion liberty and privacy for all.  True Conservatives values!

 David Blunket:  The man who proposed the ID Scheme is now opposed to it! 

TBB is back.  Sorry for my absence all.  Unlike a lot of bloggers out there I actually get out and seek to help the Party as best I can.  I have been busy this past week canvassing and absolutely loving meeting and listening to our electorate.  Blogging will continue daily again now.  Thanks for all the great emails of support.

Wow what a week.  Gordon Brown, without any doubt, is the Conservative Party’s biggest electoral asset.  Tories the UK over want him to stay put and carry on as disastrously as he has been doing.  But what is fascinating is watching the Labour Party bottle their best chance of preventing an electoral catastrophe. 

Labour has been stating that the local elections and tomorrow’s European election results are not a ringing endorsement of the Conservative Party.  I think they again misread public mood.  When out canvassing across the SE I know that much of the electorate want to give the three big parties a bloody nose over expenses.  Labour has been all but obliterated from local government.  That must send a chilling realisation through the hearts and minds of Labour MP’s that come a general election their jobs and seats are not safe.  Panic will set in as they meet all their comrades, formerly loyal Labour councillors, now bitter and without office and local status.

The Conservatives had a good night.  But what is very much true is that the Conservatives also faced a protest vote, not to the same extreme as Labour.  Come the general election, many on the doorsteps I met, were protesting now but would be wholeheartedly supporting the Conservatives.  Hence Labour should not underestimate Conservative support across the nation who either stayed at home at the local & Euro elections or voted for one of the fringe parties….can I call them ‘lunatic parties’?

The Conservative Party is well known for its brutality in changing leaders.  This week we have seen the limp wristed and cowardly way senior Labour politicians tip toe round.  So who deserves respect this week and who doesn’t?

Caroline Flint is more than just window dressing, (though she is mighty attractive), but this week we saw her naive naked ambition shine through and she damaged her credibility.  Her pre-recorded eulogy to Gordon brown, was politics at its worse, sickening to hear a grown woman, naively supporting her leader for one reason…a plum Cabinet job the next day.  When Gordon did not give her that job, all the toys were thrown out of the pram.  With a stomp of her stiletto, she penned an acid resignation letter.  If Caroline had not recorded such a sycophantic love-in interview she would have been a heroine of the week.  Instead, she comes across as a desperately ambitious lady who did not get her way and so turned on her leader.  Shame.  I don’t think we have seen the last of Caroline.  Will she give a resignation speech in the Commons this week…..?

James Purnell.  A quiet man of the Cabinet.  A Blair man through and through.  His resignation as polls closed Thursday night was a bolt from the blue and the first person from the Cabinet who had the courage of his convictions to call for Brown to go.  That was a bold move and one that we should all respect.  I do hope that Purnell decides to stage a resignation speech next week as that would seal the mark of a conviction politician.  Purnell would win Politician of the week for me last week.  Let’s also be honest, Purnell’s resignation saved both Miliband and Darling from the sack / demotion.  When Purnell resigned he limited the reshuffle to a few minor moves.  Purnell was the man who put the handcuffs on brown and Brown will hate him forever.  I am sure Tony Blair would have raised a chuckle and smile over his man.  Let’s not forget Blair was at the sharp end of the Brown, Balls, McBride briefing machine for years.  Blair loves Labour but he would certainly shed no tears for Gordon.

David Miliband.  Oh David, what a lack of bottle you have.  Like last year, here was your chance again to stand up and be counted.  But Purnell’s resignation meant that Miliband could say ‘its the Foreign Office or I resign’, hence leaving Brown no option.  Perhaps Miliband’s ambition is reigned in because he wants no part of a massive Labour loss at the general election.  He will bide his time until the time is right.  Many will not forget your weakness David.  Your time has passed.

Perhaps in time Purnell’s resignation will be seen as the moment Gordon Brown was saved.  Had Purnell waited, his effect would have been more devastating.  Perhaps he regrets that.  Without his resignation, Balls would now be Chancellor, as Brown would have  moved Darling, (and Darling would have resigned).  Maybe Brown would have also moved Miliband.  But then, if Brown had lost a Darling or a Miliband or both, Purnell’s resignation then would have been nuclear.  But it did not happen….a miscalculation in hindsight?  Don’t forget Brown had been briefing for weeks that he was planning a radical reshuffle.  The reshuffle yesterday was not what Brown wanted or planned.  It was one to save his bacon.

Alastair Darling.  He is a dark horse.  Again, saved by Purnell.  But he is very conscious that Brown wanted to get rid of him.  Brown lied yesterday.  TBB has a close friend, a journalist, who has been briefed closely by No10 ‘sources’, that Ed Balls was to be the next Chancellor.  All the journalists at the PM’s Press Conference knew this, but brown lied to them.  Disgraceful.  TBB predicted Ed as the next Chancellor some time back.  But Gordon could not move Alastair as Alastair would have resigned and he could not afford a Chancellor going.   Now Alastair, do you really want to remain in a role that you know was not meant for you.  I would not be surprised to see Alastair resign next week.  There is nothing worse that being in a job when you know you are second choice and have been so badly briefed against as Darling has been.  Is Alastair there for the perks and status of Chancellor or does he believe he is the best man for the job with the PM’s support?  That will play with his conscience.

Harriet Harman is the other dark horse.  She keeps saying her time has come.  Now she must be mightily pissed off this weekend.  Mandelson, is all but in name the Deputy PM.  Mandelson has far more say over things than she does. Harriet was elected to the role of Deputy but Peter plays the tune.  She will feel her political grip slipping and will feel bitter.  Hence, do not be surprised to see Harriet Harman resign over the next few days.  And she could have the balls to say that she will stand against the PM and be the person that people crystallise around.  She must be mightily tempted this weekend to steal a march on her opponents.

The moment that someone announces they wish to stand against the PM, credible of course, will be the moment that they all come out of the wood work.  Expect, if Harriet announces her candidacy post her devastating resignation, to then hear Mr Smarmy Alan Johnson, say, ‘in the good of the Party, I will stand to provide the Party with a real choice’.  We can also expect Miliband to throw his hat in but time would have passed by them for him to gain momentum.

Gordon learnt last week the effects of briefing in advance.  It was obvious that Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith were off in the reshuffle.  No.10 had briefed this in advance for some time.  Why on earth wait to be sacked?  All of us would jump rather than be pushed.  I am sure Brown has learnt that lesson…never leak your reshuffle plans in advance.  Will hazel this week strike a further blow.  Again, she has the right to a resignation statement.  She of all people, has little to lose now.  She is badly stained over expenses, little career options left as her constituents will most likely punish her at the next election, hence why not seal your place in history with a ‘Geoffrey Howe’ resignation speech, laying naked the secrets of life at No.10.

So what next?  The European election results will be catastrophic for Labour.  Conservatives will do well but again voters will have provided a bloody nose as they protest with the minor parties.  Expect UKIP to have a good night.  This will pour the pressure on Gordon even more, ready for Monday.  His lower rank ministerial shuffle will be key for setting the tone of the day for his PLP meeting in the evening.  If junior ministers have some balls and resign, then the PM heads into the PLP meeting drowning and will be pummelled in that meeting.  If another Cabinet Minister, like Harriet Harman or if Miliband or Darling get some spine and resign Monday, then it will be all over for Brown.  No way back.

Brown can survive.  But speak to most Labour supporters, they realise he is an electoral liability.  Imagine him fighting an election campaign, pulling those weird grin faces and speaking in a monotone boring voice at the hustings….dire.  But senior leadership contenders either lack the backbone to challenge or do not want to lead the Party to a massive electoral defeat and potentially be replaced as leader after that.  For us Conservatives, we want Gordon to stay….let’s hope and prey he does, because he is our biggest electoral asset.

This week history can be made…whose names will be then ones remembered in history as the ones to bring down the shortest serving unelected Prime Minister?

Come on Harriet……..’it’s your time’!

Rumours and No.10 ‘test the public reaction spin’, point to Peter Mandelson as being lined up as the next British Foreign Secretary, (with David Miliband being demoted to the backwaters in the no hope role of Home Secretary), as Jacqui Smith is relinquished of a Cabinet role and is handed more time to spend at home with her family and hence she can join her husband at home to enjoy some home entertainment videos.

Of course David Miliband will be gutted to lose the role of Foreign Secretary.  However, in all honesty, he feel like a ‘little boy lost’ in the role and certainly lacks gravitas.  David, unfortunately for him looks like a little schoolboy and when I see him standing next to someone like a Hilary Clinton, he reminds me of ‘Just William’, and as they walk off following a press conference, I imagine that David is saying to Hilary, ‘Please Miss, can I have a toilet break now, I need to pee pee?’.  Whenever I have seen Hilary & David in a joint press conference has the demeaning look of…is this the best person you Brits have for this role?

David does of course have ambitions for the leadership and has been keeping his head down low…..but certainly Tories would never fear him if he got the cherished prize.  Will certainly be fun watching David struggling with the Home Office mandarins and the inevitable graveyard of the Home Office throws up a series of uncontrollable events in policing and prisons that even the best never survive.

Back to Mandy.  Firstly, let me say on the record that Mandy is a consummate media operator.  He is a real pro.  And is one of the best…in the world….at knowing how to manipulate the media.  He has a shady past, as his previous indiscretions have shown us….a man, that many would question his integrity.  However, that is not the purpose of this blog today…and I am sure some will comment in the blog threads about Mandy’s rep.

My comment is that the touting of an unelected Peer to the role of Foreign Secretary, one of the top 3 offices of state, shows how much contempt Gordon Brown has for Parliament.  The British Foreign Secretary, especially in turbulent times around the world, should….no must….be accountable to the House of Commons.  MP’s must be able to hold the Foreign Secretary to account, not the unelected House of Lords.

So, no disrespect to Mandelson here, but it would be a very sad day for democracy if Brown decides to make you the British Foreign Secretary.  However, it would confirm the contempt that Brown holds for elections and making Politicians accountable.  Gordon…remember elections?  You never faced one for the Leadership of the Labour Party, (and hence PM), and you are running scared of calling one today. 

Times are hard for the Prime Minster….as he hums ‘Things can only get better’…..but today was not a good day

Gordon suffered another bad day for his Government.  He must wake up in the morning and dread the day ahead.  Today was a nightmare.

Today was bad for 3 reasons for Gordon…..

1)   Another poor Commons Performance at PMQ’s

2)  More bad economic news from the Governor of the Bank of England

3)  His Ministers create headlines for all the wrong reasons.  Jacqui Smith was lambasted at the Police Officers Federation and Hazel Blears is looking like a headless chicken.

And all this before the latest sleeze and expenses are being announced by the Telegraph pre publication tomorrow.

PMQ’s

Brown looked like a defeated figure.  On the other side Cameron has got the wind in his sails.  He is showing real leadership in this current expenses crisis.  Yesterday, as blogged here….he seized the moment, showed real backbone and all commentators acclaimed he had shown the way forward on this issue.  Contrary to Brown, who could only react and stalled on track.

What was clear today is that there is a real paralysis in Gordon Brown’s decision making.  If its not his idea, his stubborn side kicks in.  His only response today at PMQ’s to sensible suggestions from Cameron was to defer decisions, creates committees….wait for reports…wait, delay, defer.  This is a real moment when the nation demands leadership from its politicians.  Brown has been very much off the boil.  He seems a broken man.

Again, Clegg hit hard against the PM and one has to wonder how much more of this Brown can take.  He is facing a real ‘Ricky Hatton’ moment soon. 

Take a look.  Shown on Sky News today:

 The Economy

Next up, The Governor of the Bank of England, again distanced himself from the forecasts of the Treasury.  In the Press Conference he claimed he would love to know how they calculate their forecasts, as they have different methods to those used by the Bank.

The Governor stated that the recession was far deeper than expected and the strength of the recovery is highly uncertain.  It’s quarterly inflation report downgraded the outlook for the economy. 

Let’s face it.  Gordon is pinning his hopes to economic turnaround before the election next May.  News like today, will depress Brown as his options to save his skin and his legacy are rapidly diminishing.

Mervyn King has pointed to a 4.5% year on year decline at it’s lowest point—compare that to Alastair in Wonderland’s budget forecast of 3.5%.  The reason for the downgrading was a worse than expected first quarter of 1.9% decline.  King also said he thought it would take longer than expected for the bank lending to return to good levels. 

The Governor did have some good news.  The weakness of the pound should help inward investment…but oh a punitive tax system on high earners will not help stimulate investors to the UK!!!

As this recession drags on Gordon Brown does less.  He is mired in a sea of inaction over sleaze and government failings.

Here’s Mervyn on the BBC trying to be positive….

Poor Ministers…..bad headlines just keep on following

Wherever Jacqui Smith goes, cameras follow….because they know that there is a news story waiting.  Today Jacqui returned to the scene of an ear bashing last year at the Police Federation.  Jacqui is not a popular Home Secretary, especially in Police circles.  But the moment a question came from the floor on expenses, bang, the rapturous applause and sense of delirium amongst the Police, Jacqui knew that this was another news headline clip.  She is now a lame duck limping from crisis to crisis.  Gordon has no option but to axe her at a reshuffle as she creates all the wrong headlines and is a liability.

Then we had Hazel Blears rushing round today.  She is desperately trying to hold on to her job.  Her jibes over Gordon’s leadership and his YouTube appearance, hurt Gordon.  He is mightily pissed with her.  Then comes her outrageous expenses claim and the No.10 spin doctors start the spin that she will be dumped at the reshuffle.  This stings Hazel into action to repay £13,000—equivalent to capital gains tax she should have paid—-and then today, at the launch of the jobs fund for Social Enterprises Scheme, Hazel tried to impress Gordon by twice—yes twice—saying that she had been up to 2am working.  Gordon’s reaction said it all.  No smile, no recognition.  Just a fed up, saggy cloth face like bagpuss. 

Yes, ‘an old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams”….sounds just like Gordon Brown after the day he has just had.  Will tomorrow be better……?

Please Please forgive me Gordon………I’ll do anything…even say you are great on YouTube

Ah, good old Jacqui Smith, every Tories dream Labour Home Secretary.  Ever wondered why you never hear Tories call for her resignation?  Who else can single handedly create more disastrous headlines for the government?  Be it her expenses claims….don’t you just love the fact that she claims that a flat she lodges in London is classed as her main family home, when the house she shares with her husband and children is her 2nd home for work.  Unbelievable.  In the private sector she would be sacked and tried for breath taking fraud.   

But not one to miss out on more headlines, she is then caught out claiming expenses from the tax payers for her husband’s porn movies at home.  hhhmmmm well at least both husband and wife are equally fiddling! 

But that was not enough.  For her 2nd home she claimed tax payers money to buy 2 new washing machines, tv, and laughably the kitchen sink and an 80p bath plug.

What next?

In all seriousness, while Jacqui is busily defending her ‘reputation’ , she is not concentrating on the rising crime figures, massive fear surrounding the escalating knife crimes and knife culture in the UK, she misses out on the ever growing prison population, with judges giving reduced sentences, because there are no jails to take them.  Both old and young feel unsafe on the streets.  Some London streets past midnight are as much no go zones as the Afgan mountains.

But Jacqui has to have the last word.  She plans to introduce terrorism inspired legislation that allows the government to monitor all our individual phone calls, mobile phones bills, emails, text messages, social networking sites.

Hmmmmmmm big brother writ large?   Jacqui, I am sure you will stand tall with pride when you stand at the next election, the voters of Redditch, will I AM SURE, JUDGE YOU ON YOUR RECORD.  When you seek employment after the next election, I am sure that your expense account will feel very limiting indeed!!!