And the Class War is over?

Can we take it that much of the information held by Kerr was obtained illegally via Police data files? Will this be investigated?

We know that ex cops tend to set up in the investigation, or security business and then use their Police contacts to get information. How many of these are prosecuted?

All very well the Information Commissioner ageeing there has been a breach of the Data protection Act but will he DO anything about this? I referred a case to the Information Commissioner re breach of Data Protection Act, whilst it was held there was a breach and someone gave personal information out, the IC then said it would not be pursued. A waste of time and the Data Protection Act is a joke.

Private security companies are making a fortune out of information. Some may be familiar with a lawyer called Timothy Lawson Cruttenden who has tried to inflate his bank balance by pursuing protestors into the High Court. At the behest of hunts,vivisectors and general filthy scum such as NPower, HLS and EDO he manipulates the Protection from Harassment Act to curb peaceful, lawful protest (violent, illegal protest is already illegal). He has not tried trade unionists yet but please watch out for him, he makes lots of dosh this way. Behind him in court (when I have been there) handing over files was Superintendant Pearl from NETCU a serving police officer helping out a corporation in a civil action. Right at the back glaring there have been sightings of Ken Smith a former police sergeant who allegedly works for HLS in "security" who has been through the knicker draws of many activists, including mine (he is a brave man, maybe this accounts for his grumpy demeanor).
Its all VERY cosy indeed! A cynic might think that private information about activists might, just might, find its way into the wrong hands.
Combine the disgrace of selling trade unionists details with the issues surrounding id cards and the nightmare that is the Criminal Records Bureau we can only thank the maker for the Information Commissioner. No doubt the government will try to defang the IC in due course. Meanwhile other activists have found rather imaginative fictional accounts of their behaviour when they have recieved their CRB check. Although construction workers would probably be exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act I wonder if this farce goes as far as the CRB, is it worth checking? After all if anyone wants a career change to be a nurse, teacher or even a librarian they may be an unknown barrier preventing these people from getting jobs in other areas too?

"After all if anyone wants a career change to be a nurse, teacher or even a librarian they may be an unknown barrier preventing these people from getting jobs in other areas too?"

Not just a barrier, a force. Being active politically can get people sacked from being a nurse or a teacher, never mind just acting as a barrier to the career.

"She was arrested during a demonstration at Faslane naval base in August 2004 and unsuccessfully appealed a breach of the peace conviction. The MSP was jailed for seven days but it emerged that she would spend one night in prison. The controversial MSP could also be struck off as a registered midwife following her conviction. The Nursing and Midwifery Council said it has received allegations of "misconduct" against her as a result. "
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4191815.stm

I have been OK as a midwife since qualifying in 1996. I got my first criminal conviction in 1998 and many since then all protest related. The police report to the NMC whenever a nurse, midwife or health visitor recieves a conviction or accepts a caution as a matter of course (I am sure they do the same for the GMC etc).I have been open with my employers and the NMC and as none of my activities are violent and do not involve drug abuse and are reasonable I have not been struck off. The NMC has only been concerned with any criminal activities which could affect patient care so far and this seems fair. I am sure that this will not always be the case though. The latest code of conduct now dictates that it is up to the nurse/midwife/health visitor to inform them of ANY arrest (I would have had to had my own phone line at one stage as they were arresting me thrice a week usually illegally) whereas before they were only interested in convictions and cautions. NHS Trusts are now showing a trend of doing CRB checks on a regular even annual basis whereas before this was only done prior to employment. Apparently it is "unprofessional" now to break the law, even though the average person must do so several times a day unknowingly!
NB CAUTIONS DO COUNT AND MAY STOP PEOPLE BECOMING NURSES, DOCTORS OR SOCIAL WORKERS, jobs which involve dealing with young or vulnerable people are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. If you accept a caution at the age of 18 it will still be relevant when you are 48 and will show up on an enhanced CRB check.Probably best not to accept them unless there really is no other sensible course of action because usually the police are just bluffing when they offer a caution and do not have a snowballs chance in hell of getting a guilty verdict in court. Furthermore post Ian Huntley arrests and other stuff (lies, prejudices and fantasy) now show up on CRB checks regardless of whether or not the case even got to court.
Looking at the Agenda Security Services site (they screen for animal rights activists working under cover and illegal immigrants, and do study days) they also do some work for the NHS which is worrying considering that they are allied with a former police officers group and the Institute of Animal Technicians. I have a nasty feeling that this blacklist is the tip of a corrupt iceberg.
I think the best policy is to be honest and explain the sitaution/s, but people need to be aware of how the police can and do try to hinder activists and unionists from working.

"I have been OK as a midwife since qualifying in 1996. I got my first criminal conviction in 1998 and many since then all protest related."
I was blacklisted before I was a protestor, which was partly why I became active.

"The NMC has only been concerned with any criminal activities which could affect patient care so far and this seems fair. I am sure that this will not always be the case though."
It is until one day it isn't. I was openly anarchist even at security-cleared jobs without hassle, it would've been viewed mainly as an intellectual affectation or typical of my generation or although it sometimes got me extra hassle. I didn't sign petitions. The case of the gardener getting banned from tending Royal Navy lawns after signing a CND petition that I mentioned isn't going to happen to everyone who signs a petition. The significance is in it does happen sometimes, the protocol and machinery to blacklist potential employees and harass decent employees have been demonstrated. It is a question of numbers and we don't know that, but that isn't a few building firms, that is the industry. Most employment now occurs through obediency tests which aren't designed to be progressive.

"Looking at the Agenda Security Services site (they screen for animal rights activists working under cover and illegal immigrants, and do study days) they also do some work for the NHS which is worrying considering that they are allied with a former police officers group and the Institute of Animal Technicians. I have a nasty feeling that this blacklist is the tip of a corrupt iceberg."

Well, ASS are an interesting example of the specialism in the blacklisting market today, but learning about them applies to all corporate sectors and varieties of activist or politico. Thats why I think you should keep on exposing the cross-overs Adrian took from the SIS to 'private industry' to the Police to the Times. Not many stories link ASS to ARRSE.