The unnecessary arrest of Damian Green

Again we see evidence of the abuse by New Labour of national security and the terrorist threat. The leaked documents were merely embarrassing in showing the incompetence of the Home Office.

The question remains why it was necessary to arrest Green and imprison him for several hours, when the police had every opportunity to question him in freedom about the matter. (Compare the questioning of Tony Blair)

The violation by the police of a parliamentarian’s office in the House of Commons was utterly unacceptable.

One has the feeling that New Labour tried to change the rules of the political game by backing the police on this matter. Their hope was to limit the field of activity for opposition politicians. Fortunately for the sake of democracy they failed.

The arrest of Damian Green

Every serious person can agree that, regarding political freedoms and rights, Britain is not Stalin’s Soviet Union. But because Britain is not a totalitarian society does not mean that democracy and personal freedom are not under threat.

The arrest and detention of the Conservative Parliamentarian, Green, is undoubtedly more serious for what it represents than the physical and psychological harm done to Green and his family. The two key issues are: the police causally violated MPs offices in Parliament; and it would appear that the Government prompted anti-terrorist police to intimidate the opposition. Neither to these things should happen in a liberal democracy.