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Police State

Hildy Johnson | 28.11.2008 14:05 | History | Social Struggles | South Coast

So now its official- we are living in a Police State. A Conservative MP has been arrested by 9 "anti-terrorism" officers at his constitutency home in connection with Home Office leaks. This is unprecedented. The AR folks were right all along. Still perhaps MPs can only blame themselves since they´ve voted through the end of official UK democracy

First they came for the criminals, then they came for the communists, then for the Jews, then for the Poles, then it was me.

Unless Conservative MP Damian Green has been leaking official secrets to Al-Q´eeda his arrest represents a rapid shift towards the establishment of a police state.

Either Browns government will not tolerate dissent in any form (last week they came down heavy on another conservative for suggesting that their bank bail-outs might risk a run on the pound) or the Met are out of control.

David Cameron has commented in a way that is very unpolitican like
"What do they think about in Britain today, counter-terrorism police are spending their time searching an MP's office, arresting him, holding him for nine hours, all on a day when British citizens are being killed on the other side of the world and all because, as far as I can see, he made public some information that was in the public interest that the government found uncomfortable.

"Well, let's hope that our democracy hasn't come to that."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Mr Green was arrested by members of its counter-terrorism command, thought to be Special Branch officers, and searches were conducted at his homes in London and Kent and at two offices in Kent and London.

It said the investigation was not terrorism related but did fall within the counter-terror unit's remit.

There is also much concern that the police were apparently able to search Greens office at the Houses of Parliament- again this is unprecedented.

Former minister Denis MacShane said that the Speaker should make clear that MPs were entitled to hold sensitive material in the same way as lawyers and doctors.

"To send a squad of counter terrorist officers to arrest an MP shows the growing police contempt for Parliament and democratic politics," he said.
"The police now believe that MPs are so reduced in public status that they are fair game for over-excited officers to order dawn raids, arrests and searches of confidential files held by MPs or those who work for them.

"I am not sure this is good for British democracy."

Hildy Johnson

Comments

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prelude

28.11.2008 16:20

This is no more than a prelude to Brown declaring a state of emergence in the spring ('09) arresting all the opposition front bench and then calling an election.

It is what they call a try on to see what the public reaction will be.

Brown probably had not been informed of the arrest on his own instructions, in order that he would not be implicated.

He has studiously followed the economic policies of Robert Mugabe, and as these have been so successful he has decided to immerse himself totally in Mugabes policies.

Be prepared in the summer of '09 for him to offer the opposition a power sharing agreement....well,you know the rest

David

A great day for democracy

28.11.2008 16:29

I think this is a great day for British democracy. An MP is being treated as a normal member of the public, nicked for making those in power feel uncomfortable. Welcome to the world that the rest of us live in.

Sadly, I'll lay some pretty good odds that the results of this arrest won't be to reign in police powers generally, but rather limit them to saying "don't apply them to MPs."

Tony Benn thought that the police might be acting 'in contempt of parliament.' I find it strangely comforting that I may having something in common with the force after all :-)

Not just schadenfreude

Not a good development

28.11.2008 16:37

I don't think this is a good development, but it is interesting what kind of police state people think is developing here. On the one hand, it is fairly brazen for the police to have made a high-profile arrest in this way, and if the Home Office is telling the truth (that they didn't know about the arrest before it happened) then there is definitely grounds for police powers to be cut down to size.

However, if the govt did know about the arrests - or worse still, instigated them - then the police state starts to look like an autocracy as well. Are the elites on both sides of the house having a punch-up behind the scenes?

What I found interesting from R4's news broadcast this morning - with an incredulous interviewer complaining to a police representative that the arrest was "heavy handed" - was that Tory MPs (by which we mean the elite in general) deserve better treatment from the police compared to members of the public. True, if the arrestee has a recognisable face or they hold public office, it does make it less likely that they will abscond. But nevertheless the suspicion lingers that AR activists (or other people who challenge the status quo) don't deserve the outrage of the media - just important folks who keep the system going.

Unfortunately despite all the bluster from "outraged" MPs and journos, no change will be effected. The elite will treat the fact that "one of their own" got caught up in the system as an anomaly, rather than a demonstration that the police are too powerful.

Jon

Terrorism Act

28.11.2008 17:21

'The AR folks were right all along', yes that's right. AR activists have been treated to this biased and unlawful behaviour from the police for some considerable time. The Terrorism Act is just a pice of legislation that can be used to squash any form of dissent and it is being abused and used as an excuse to prevent democratic protest and Human Rights. I have no doubt nothing will be done about the abuse of police owers and this MP will be let off. The abuse of the Terrorism Act will carry on regardless regarding the general public who protest about anything to do with AR or other issues which the Government don't want opposition to. Remember the little old man at the Labour party conference, arrested under the Terrorism Act for shouting out a comment? Only a matter of time before the thought police arrive!

Anon

not a time for shaddenfreude

28.11.2008 17:43

there has always been a tension between members of the public and the forces of law and order. don´t forget that British law now enshrines the Human Rights Act which was not available to the miners or others who have faced pretty harsh repression. it is not just a case of we are being persecuted and its getting worse- if you are set against the status quo and pick a fight then you will get pushed around. After all political activism is not a game.

for me this arrest represents a dramatic step change. it might not be fair but the law as regards MPs is different to the law that applies to ordinary members of the public. this inequality is qualified by the somewhat off the mark point that anyone can stand for parliament and secure these privileges. if the police state is now unafraid to arrest and harass MPs in this way what do you think that implies for the rest of us?

david

Democracy ?

28.11.2008 21:42

European democracy was born in masonic lodges in the 16th century, opponents of Freemasonry like for example the Vatican accused freemasons of being democrats and republicans.
Everyone seems to think it's great, the Iraqies just had it forced on them, the ones that survived, I guess the millions that died during two invasions and the United masons sanctions won't know much about.
Freemasonry had been gentrified in late 15th century and was controlled by Aristocrats and rich merchants
they used their power and influence to make sure that the so called "democratic" vote went the way they wanted it to. The same applies in now Westminster MP's are lobbied by Big business and Powerfull individuals, to make them tow the line there also the rather kinky sounding whips who do funny things to them to make sure they vote the right way.
After the dark ages of the 70's and 80's under the Thatcher at last the country can rejoice Labour wins
and we get landed with Phoney Bliar who is twice as bad as Thatcher. Bliar served the same "interests" and has sold out all the way down the line and he also lied the country into a terrible war mostly waged against civilians.
Bliars buggered off to work for JP Morgan and left Brown to clean up the shit and the Tories are looming on the Horizon. Last weeks Observer article shows clearly that anyone that protests is going to be branded a terrorist, there are now lot's anti terrorist cops hanging around waiting for some action so any who jumps the barriers (or not) at the tube station is not likely to need a return ticket "make my day punk"
I can't really see where you wanna go with democracy.

lobbyist

what democracy? its been arrested!

29.11.2008 14:37

i find 'n. j. schaddenfeude' observation naive in extremis. in actual fact, an elected politician is not quite like the rest of us! thery're entrusted with a mandate or in some countries delegated a policy to implement. as it happens, ive already explained in my own article how a parliament can be immune from state intervention and still be accountable, via the impeachment route.

The omen