So, the good and the bad. I did promise, didn’t I? Well the section on Civil Liberties is better than any of us dared hope, thanks to the addition of a Freedom Bill/Great Repeal Bill which could cover anything not already cover. The list of things we know for a fact we’re getting includes:
ID Cards, Identity Register, Child Register and Next-Gen biometric passports? GONE
No Fingerprinting of Children without parental consent. SORTED
Extension of Freedom of Information Act. GOOD
A switch to Scottish model of DNA retention. AT LAST
Protection of right to trial by jury and right to non-violent protest. AWESOME
Reform of the libel laws to protect freedom of speech. SUPERB
And more. Seriously, there’s MORE. And this doesn’t include what might end up in the Great Repeal/Freedom Bill (HINT: Digital Economy Act three strikes, site blocking).
This is extremely promising and marks the first time our Government has done anything that I’ve gone, “Wow! Cool!” at for… well.. over ten years, I guess. I’m genuinely surprised and amazed and hope that this shows a willingness to be bold in this area.
The bad for me is the section on the ‘Green’ economy stuff, which represents quite an ambitious program of economic planning (irrespective of the perceived need to do so.) Will be interested to see if this gets the same focus and attention.
Back to good we have the end of child detention in immigration centres. On the bad side we appear to have merged the Lib Dem and the Tory policy on dealing with illegal immigrants. If you’ll recall, the Lib Dems intended to find some of the illegal immigrants and give them an amnesty to stay. The Tories wanted to deport them but can’t actually find them. The new policy is find them and deport them. Compromise, eh? Wonderful.
More on this as it sinks in and the actual behaviour of the Government becomes apparent… but put it this way: I’m a bit worried about the odds of getting pieces onto Liberal Central at the Guardian if the Coalition carries on like this. My career as a semi-professional writer may be killed off before it’s started.
Damn.
