The issue is not whether Nick Griffin’s appearance on question time wins the BNP more recruits or not. The key point is whether Britain is a democracy.
British people have a right to hear the representatives and spokespeople from political parties which win election mandates and/or have a significant following. It cannot be for the BBC (and it would be wrong for Parliament) to impose censorship.
The real horror is that in New Labour’s Britain, fascists can win 6% of the vote and two Euro seats, not that such relative success gives the BNP a right to be heard on Question Time.
24 October 2009
21 October 2009
Nuclear Power, Policing and Civil Liberties
The British private nuclear industry funds (GBP 57m in 2009) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, whose armed officers have powers over and above those of regular police officers. As the Guardian reports 21 October 2009:
The force is authorised to send informers to infiltrate organisations and to conduct undercover surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). It is also permitted to obtain communications data such as phone numbers and email addresses…
The force keeps secret the extent of its clandestine surveillance operations on protesters and others. It has been collecting more intelligence in recent years…
Since 2007, the CNC has also been headed by an ex-intelligence official, rather than a police officer. Richard Thompson is reported to have been a senior officer in MI6…
Obviously, the very existence of nuclear power in Britain leads to conspiracy against the British people and a diminution of their civil liberties.
The force is authorised to send informers to infiltrate organisations and to conduct undercover surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). It is also permitted to obtain communications data such as phone numbers and email addresses…
The force keeps secret the extent of its clandestine surveillance operations on protesters and others. It has been collecting more intelligence in recent years…
Since 2007, the CNC has also been headed by an ex-intelligence official, rather than a police officer. Richard Thompson is reported to have been a senior officer in MI6…
Obviously, the very existence of nuclear power in Britain leads to conspiracy against the British people and a diminution of their civil liberties.
20 October 2009
Chirs Huhne on Griffin
Chris Huhne really can’t have it both ways. The BBC inviting the fascist Griffin, you say, is to the advantage of the BNP because it facilitates the normalisation of the party in British politics. On the other had you claim that to exclude him would play into his “us against the establishment” pose.
The truth is that you, like everybody else, don’t know whether Griffin’s appearance on Thursday’s Question Time will boost or hinder the growth of fascism in Britain.
But the key point is another one. As an elected politician, however vile his ideas may be, Griffin has a right in a democracy to be heard on the BBC. That’s all you need to say to defend liberalism.
The truth is that you, like everybody else, don’t know whether Griffin’s appearance on Thursday’s Question Time will boost or hinder the growth of fascism in Britain.
But the key point is another one. As an elected politician, however vile his ideas may be, Griffin has a right in a democracy to be heard on the BBC. That’s all you need to say to defend liberalism.
Radicalisation and Extremism; the basis for police action?
My problem here arises out of the misuse of language which then legitimises illiberal policing in Britain. In the minds of many I hold radical and extreme views because I dislike all religion and believe that the state should be fully secular. But such views don’t yet make me a criminal in New Labour Britain.
Radicalisation (meaning going to root of one’s belief system) is not something that is necessarily either wrong or illegal. I would describe myself for instance as being of the radical left. In the same way, it is possible to hold extreme views and even act in an extreme way without breaking any law, let alone engaging in terrorist acts.
The police should be concerned only with only one thing: behaviour which is illegal. Making people who hold radical or extreme views per se objects of police surveillance and control is simply wrong.
Radicalisation (meaning going to root of one’s belief system) is not something that is necessarily either wrong or illegal. I would describe myself for instance as being of the radical left. In the same way, it is possible to hold extreme views and even act in an extreme way without breaking any law, let alone engaging in terrorist acts.
The police should be concerned only with only one thing: behaviour which is illegal. Making people who hold radical or extreme views per se objects of police surveillance and control is simply wrong.
19 October 2009
No to Blair as EU President
The last thing the EU needs is a disreputable indidividual like Blair as its first president.
Blair has blood on his hands from wars in which he involved Britain on wholly false grounds. It would also seem that he was complicit in torture and he cares nothing for human rights or civil liberties. He also appears to be delusional, amassing fortunes by prostituting himself to international banks, while preaching his newly-found Catholic moralism.
The man makes honest people sick.
Blair has blood on his hands from wars in which he involved Britain on wholly false grounds. It would also seem that he was complicit in torture and he cares nothing for human rights or civil liberties. He also appears to be delusional, amassing fortunes by prostituting himself to international banks, while preaching his newly-found Catholic moralism.
The man makes honest people sick.
Nuclear issues require referenda in Britain
There are two issues on which Britain should hold referenda. The first is whether Britain should have new nuclear power stations; the second is whether the country should replace the nuclear weapon system Trident.
On both issues I would campaign for a clear NO.
On both issues I would campaign for a clear NO.
16 October 2009
The UK Border Agency
The innocuous-sounding UK Border Agency seems to have become in several respects a police service something akin to a combination of the Staatssicherheitsdienst (Stasi) and the Grenzpolizei (Grepo) of the former GDR.
Formally one used one’s passport to show on entry to the UK that one had a right to be in the country, and on exist to prove that you had a valid passport because you would be wasting everybody’s time if you didn’t have one. Today the philosophy is entirely different: you are entered on a data base on entry and exit, detailing who you are along with the time, date, place of travel plus any other information elicited from you.
Formally one used one’s passport to show on entry to the UK that one had a right to be in the country, and on exist to prove that you had a valid passport because you would be wasting everybody’s time if you didn’t have one. Today the philosophy is entirely different: you are entered on a data base on entry and exit, detailing who you are along with the time, date, place of travel plus any other information elicited from you.
BNP to drop racist membership rules
Of course I support the requirement that the BNP membership policies conform to race discrimination laws.
Yet it is also true that however much Griffin may huff and puff, I am sure he appreciates the help that Human Rights Commission is giving him in moving his party away from an indefensible racism. Instead, the party can, if it so wishes, claim to be defending so-called British and Christian values, with racism as an undertone and not an up-front embarrassment.
That would all allow the BNP to resemble something like the Austrian Freedom Party, i.e. a pollution on the far right of politics, but not falling off the edge. In many ways this kind of politics, particularly if linked up with UKIP, would be a dangerous development in Britain.
Yet it is also true that however much Griffin may huff and puff, I am sure he appreciates the help that Human Rights Commission is giving him in moving his party away from an indefensible racism. Instead, the party can, if it so wishes, claim to be defending so-called British and Christian values, with racism as an undertone and not an up-front embarrassment.
That would all allow the BNP to resemble something like the Austrian Freedom Party, i.e. a pollution on the far right of politics, but not falling off the edge. In many ways this kind of politics, particularly if linked up with UKIP, would be a dangerous development in Britain.
The Independent Safeguarding Authority to register all voluntary workers
I find the argument somewhat implausible, though, that New Labour had good intentions, but simply didn’t think through the consequences of their own actions.
Two features of New Labour thinking are clearly embedded in these regulations. First, the policy of spin; i.e. the need to be seen to doing something to appease society in the short term rather than actually achieving practical outcomes for the long term. Second, we can see their policy of bureaucratic control; i.e. the desire to have the whole population under surveillance and on data bases.
Where New Labour probably miscalculated was in underestimating the degree of common sense opposition from ordinary people who have their private community life damaged by this kind of legislation.
Two features of New Labour thinking are clearly embedded in these regulations. First, the policy of spin; i.e. the need to be seen to doing something to appease society in the short term rather than actually achieving practical outcomes for the long term. Second, we can see their policy of bureaucratic control; i.e. the desire to have the whole population under surveillance and on data bases.
Where New Labour probably miscalculated was in underestimating the degree of common sense opposition from ordinary people who have their private community life damaged by this kind of legislation.
14 October 2009
Welsh Labour should declare its independence
The first move for any successful leader of the Labour Party in Wales should be to declare independence from New Labour in London.
Blair and Brown killed all that was good in the British Labour Party by abandoning social democracy in favour of market fundamentalism, mass social inequality, war-mongering and an attack on personal and civil liberties. The British electorate has the cane raised and it will inflict a devastating and painful blow on New Labour next year. Welsh Labour, never at the heart of London’s New Labour project, needs to be elsewhere, if it can.
Labour in Wales must chart its own path and to do so successfully it needs to disown New Labour completely. Only an independent Welsh Labour Party can do that.
Blair and Brown killed all that was good in the British Labour Party by abandoning social democracy in favour of market fundamentalism, mass social inequality, war-mongering and an attack on personal and civil liberties. The British electorate has the cane raised and it will inflict a devastating and painful blow on New Labour next year. Welsh Labour, never at the heart of London’s New Labour project, needs to be elsewhere, if it can.
Labour in Wales must chart its own path and to do so successfully it needs to disown New Labour completely. Only an independent Welsh Labour Party can do that.
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