Neo-Labour War on Liberty

NEW anti-terrorism laws are to be pushed through before Tony Blair leaves office giving “wartime” powers to the police to stop and question people.

John Reid, the home secretary, who is also quitting next month, intends to extend Northern Ireland’s draconian police powers to interrogate individuals about who they are, where they have been and where they are going.

Under the new laws, police will not need to suspect that a crime has taken place and can use the power to gain information about “matters relevant” to terror investigations.

If suspects fail to stop or refuse to answer questions, they could be charged with a criminal offence and fined up to £5,000. Police already have the power to stop and search people but they have no right to ask for their identity and movements.

No general police power to stop and question has ever been introduced in mainland Britain except during wartime.

Civil liberties campaigners last night branded the proposed measures “one of the most significant moves on civil liberties since the second world war”. Link

db: To hell with Neo-Labour and to hell with all those who would give up our liberty. Liberty was never a gift. It was purchased with the blood of our abused and downtrodden ancestors - back in the day before the 'minimum wage' [that's the shockingly low rate per hour that an employer can legally get away with and yet still fly an 'investor in people' flag].