Labour's Long Assault on British Civil Liberties

It was only five years ago when London experienced a series of street bombings that drew comparisons to 9/11. Even before then, and more so afterwards, Britain under Labour became as close to a modern police state as any Western, democratic government. Today, additional documents showing Labour's torture and abuse of British citizens were declassified. Such allegations of the government's complicity, often done in the name of national security, showed the previous government's low appraisal for civil liberties. Its ID cards programme, thankfully scrapped by the new government, could have been the first major step toward an Orwellian society.

The new government has much to do to restore British civil liberties. It should scale back and seek to scrap the many public surveillance cameras that exist. It should encourage more openness to the courts, and reform libel law, which is among the most restrictive in the developed world. It should confer and uphold as sacrosanct the rights and privileges of civil organizations and institutions, key partners envisioned by the Conservatives in renewal. While terrorism remains a threat and national security should not be taken lightly, civil liberties form the underpinnings of the British constitutional government. Labour's appalling record is only coming into light; it is more important that the current and future governments do not make similar errors with those fundamental and indispensable freedoms.