| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Colston
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
|
 Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:27 pm Post subject: David Davis... |
 |
|
|
|
Astonishingly astute move.
When did the politics of justice start coming from the right?
New Labour should hang its head in shame.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| Have you a link or something? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| i just caught this on the news, surprising! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
here you are faceless;
| Quote: | Shadow Home Secretary quits as MP
Top Tory frontbencher David Davis has shocked Westminster by announcing that he is resigning as an MP to "take a stand" against the Government's 42-day terror detention plan.
The shadow home secretary said he was forcing a by-election to protest against the "insidious" erosion of civil liberties in Britain.
Mr Davis spearheaded the Conservatives' failed bid to defeat the Government over extending detention without charge, which caused disquiet among some Tory MPs.
Mr Davis said the undermining of civil liberties through moves such as 42 days and the introduction of ID cards "cannot go on".
Aides to Mr Davis had indicated that Wednesday night's vote was "do or die", and he had staked a great deal of his credibility on the outcome.
Privately Mr Davis has accepted that many on the Tory benches were uncomfortable about opposing tough law and order measures.
However, he is seen as one of the Shadow Cabinet's best operators, and has claimed the scalps of a succession of Home Secretaries.
His popularity among the Conservative grass roots was demonstrated when he came runner-up to David Cameron for the party leadership in 2005.
As the resignation drama unfolded in Westminster, a Lib Dem spokeswoman confirmed the party would not be fielding a candidate in the resulting Haltemprice and Howden by-election - giving Mr Davis a clear run against a Labour candidate.
The Lib Dems had targeted the seat in 2005 as part of its ill-fated "decapitation" strategy to unseat key Tory figures but Mr Davis was re-elected with a 5,116 majority.
© 2008 The Press Association Limited |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| I never thought I'd congratulate a tory, but good on him for having the balls to put himself on the line. I saw Diane Abbot giving some strong opposition to the government too - that was good to see. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| Quote: | Why I am resigning
I will use this byelection to fight the slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms by this government
The name of my constituency is Haltemprice and Howden - Haltemprice is derived from a medieval proverb meaning noble endeavour.
Up until yesterday I took a view that what we did in the House of Commons representing our constituents was a noble endeavour because for centuries of forebears we defended the freedom of people. Well, we did, up until yesterday.
This Sunday is the anniversary of Magna Carta, a document that guarantees the fundamental element of British freedom, habeas corpus. The right not to be imprisoned by the state without charge or reason.
But yesterday this house allowed the state to lock up potentially innocent citizens for up to six weeks without charge.
The counter-terrorism bill will, in all probability, be rejected by the House of Lords very firmly. After all, what should they be there for, if not to protect Magna Carta?
But because this is defined as political, not security, the government will be tempted to use the Parliament Act to overrule the Lords.
It has no democratic mandate to do this since 42 days was not in its manifesto. Its legal basis is uncertain to say the least but, purely for political reasons, this government is going to do that.
Because the generic security argument relied on will never go away - technology, development complexity, and so on - we'll next see 56 days, 70 days, then 90 days.
But in truth perhaps 42 days is the one most salient example of the insidious, surreptitious and relentless erosion of fundamental British freedom.
And we will have shortly the most intrusive identity card system in the world. A CCTV camera for every 14 citizens, a DNA database bigger than any dictatorship has, with thousands of innocent children and millions of innocent citizens on it.
We have witnessed an assault on jury trials, a bolt against bad law and its arbitrary use by the state.
And shortcuts with our justice system, which will make our system neither firm nor fair and a creation of a database state opening up our private lives to the prying eyes of official snoopers and exposing our personal data to careless civil servants and criminal hackers.
The state has security powers to clamp down on peaceful protest and so-called hate laws to stifle legitimate debate, whilst those who incite violence get off scot-free.
This cannot go on, it must be stopped, and for that reason today I feel it is incumbent on me to take a stand.
I will be resigning my membership of this House and I intend to force a byelection in Haltemprice and Howden.
Now I will not fight it on the government's general record. There's no point repeating Crewe and Nantwich.
I won't fight it on my personal record - I am just a piece in this great chess game.
I will fight it, I will argue this byelection against the slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms by this government.
Now, that may mean I have made my last speech to the House. It's possible. And of course that would be a cause of deep regret to me. But at least my electorate and the nation, as a whole, would have had the opportunity to debate and consider one of the most fundamental issues of our day.
The ever-intrusive power of the state on our lives, the loss of privacy, the loss of freedom and a steady attrition undermining the rule of law. And if they do send me back here, it will be with a single, simple message - that the monstrosity of a law that we passed yesterday will not stand.
• This is the text of the speech delivered by the shadow home secretary, announcing his resignation as an MP over 42-day detention |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
Wasn't Haltemprice the constituency held by Alan b'Stard? On checking it is - haha. though it seems that there wasn't a constituency called that at the time of the tv show.
Anyway, back to what he's said. I think that's the first time I've read an article by a Conservative leader and not whinced. If he's just playing the politics game, then he's very good at it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Comsatangel
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
It depends which spin on the story you believe, of course. The alternative explanation is that Davis had stated in a newspaper interview that a Conservative government would repeal the 42 day legislation. Cameron was furious at Davis' remarks as, although he himself voted against the introduction of 42 days, he had stopped short of announcing that he would repeal it. Clearly, he was conscious of the fact that a recent poll stated over 60% of people had fallen for the scaremongering and actually supported the bill. Even despite the fact that anti terror legislation is being used to justify spying on parents to ensure they are living in the correct catchment areas where their children are attending school, and going through people's rubbish bins.
Cameron and Davis apparently had a furious row over Davis' comments and Davis resigned, with Davis also resigning as an MP "on principle" as a damage limitation exercise with the blessing of Cameron who himself is keen to play down any rumours of a disagreement. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Brown Sauce
Joined: 07 Jan 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| Quote: | | Even despite the fact that anti terror legislation is being used to justify spying on parents to ensure they are living in the correct catchment areas where their children are attending school, |
got a good source for that? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Comsatangel
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| I did have Mr sauce, but I can't locate it. It was a story concerning a family who rented a house in a particular catchment area to ensure a place for their son at the nearby school, despite their primary residence being some miles away and the family simply paying the rent on the house but not actually living there for most of the time. They were put under surveillance by the LEA who filmed and took pictures of the rented house, noting the times when curtians were open or closed and whether cars were parked in the driveway. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nekokate
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Location: West Yorkshire, UK
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
I can back Comstangel up on that - I saw it in the papers, too. Anti-terror laws were used to spy on a family regarding their child's school choice.
CLICK |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Colston
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| George calling Davis an honourable man on his TV show. Saying he wonders whether anyone will stand against him, leaving him honourable but not having achieved anything. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ash
Joined: 22 May 2007
Location: Al-Ard
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
You can bet that Labour will send someone for the seat.
Good on D Davis. My mate told me about it this afternoon while he was giving me a lift. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| I was just watching 'This Week' and Kelvin Mackenzie said that he has the backing of Rupert Murdoch to stand against Davis. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Colston
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
| faceless wrote: | | I was just watching 'This Week' and Kelvin Mackenzie said that he has the backing of Rupert Murdoch to stand against Davis. |
Interesting... a battle royal. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
