David Davies - A Politician with Principals

When I returned yesterday, from helping to carry out a species survey, I caught the news headlines on the radio. While I wanted to find out the details, I really did not believe what I thought I had heard a politician had resined his seat in the House of Commons over the erosion of our civil liberties following the narrow vote in favour of allowing detention of terrorist suspects for forty two days without charges being laid.

I fully realise that the arguments in favour for this legislation may seem compelling as the purpose is to help protect us from the murderous acts of terrorists. But as has already happened with laws that were intended to be used purely for anti-terrorism, are now being used for all sorts of very minor crimes. By minor I do mean minor, as these laws and powers are being used to convict people guilty of things like allowing their dogs to foul the footpath.

For eight hundred years because of the Magna Charta, in Britain, we have had the right not to be detained without any trial or charges. While the situation has changed and we need protection from people whose twisted logic and sick morals justify (to themselves) the murder of innocent people. By our own government destroying our rights and liberties, the government does the terrorists job for them. If our own government erodes our freedoms and changes our way of life, the government is capitulating to the terrorist.

During the debate in parliament it was notable that people with experience of dealing with terrorism, were against this. In Northern Ireland during the period of nationalist terrorism Britain used internment. That was locking up people for their political beliefs, often with no real evidence that they were terrorists. This acted as a recruiting Sargent for the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and probably prolonged that war. This is not only my opinion but the carefully considered thoughts of minds much better than mine.

This loss of protection of the individual from the state is one of a long line of liberties that we have had taken away. While each individual loss of liberty can be justified as reasonable but only as long as we have a reasonable government. In Germany in the 1930s many of the same loss of freedoms were implemented, and this led to the repressions of the Nazi regime and the murder of six million people.

While we don't yet have an oppressive dictatorship in the UK, yet. We have seen the government assuming more powers to control what is private in peoples lives. While some measures that protect children are welcome, there is an increasingly alarming repression of any ideas, thoughts and behaviour that deviates from the standard. The ban on smoking in public places is just one example of this.

However, it is the loss of liberty that this measure of locking up innocent people for six weeks without charge that is going beyond what should be accepted by a free society. The measure is being sold to us as a way of stopping terrorists outrages, but that would only be true if the police only ever arrested the guilty. Even now there are people that are arrested just because they are Muslim During the war with the IRA there were many people that were wrongfully convicted. While our legal system is not perfect I would rather trust a judge than a politician with my liberty.

As an environmental activist I could see the government using these powers to repress my opinions and activities. Not that I have ever or would ever become involved in anything destructive or violent. But once a government has a power they will use it and use it in ways never originally intended.

The one thing that strikes me as strange is that all of these modern terrorist organisations have grown out of repression. They want to dictate their perspective and impose their way of life upon all of us so why are we removing our freedoms for them?

It was hearing that David Davies the conservative shadow home secretary had taken up the challenge on this issue that has surprised me. The Conservative party (analogous to the Republicans) are not known for their libertarian principals, in fact they are rather better known as being authoritarian. So I needed to watch and listen to the news to find out if what I had heard was correct.

He is resigning his seat in the house of commons to force a serious debate via a “by election”. What is also heartening is that the Liberal Democrat's have already said the will not field a candidate. It looked as though this was going to be a straight race between a conservative libertarian and Labour.

Labour used to be a left of centre socialist (or rather more social democratic) party. But they have been a much more authoritarian and right wing whilst in government. So while I never thought it would happen we have a conservative defending our liberties while Labour are taking them away.

Then last night while watching a politics programme on television the former Editor of the Sun (A right wing Tabloid Trash Newspaper) Kelvin Mackenzie, announced that on the instruction of Rupert Murdock, would stand against David Davies.

Well to say we are living in interesting time is almost an understatement. Traditionally it would have been Labour defending freedoms. To have David Davies forcing a real debate in the country by giving up not just a high profile political position but a guaranteed ministerial post in government when the conservatives win the next General Election, shows that he is a man of principal.

The debate in the media over the issues has been derisory and has left much of the population thinking that apart from the Labour Party, no one wanted to prevent terrorism. Yet only the minority who listen to or read serious journalism will know that even the heads of the intelligence agencies and senior police are opposed to this measure. Well it all becomes clear that serious informed debate has been stifled by Rupert Murdock via his media empire.

So while we do not yet have a political dictatorship, we do have a media dictatorship with Rupert Murdock at the top. It is no wonder the British public are so ill-informed.