I remember a fresh faced young man saying this on the 18^th September 2006.

The Liberal Democrats pledged a bonfire of government laws today, with a promise to bring in a “great repeal act” scrapping supposedly illiberal legislation brought in by four successive Labour home secretaries.

Nick Clegg, the rising star of the party, got a standing ovation on the first day of the conference in Brighton, when he called for a cull of some of the 3,000 new criminal offences that the party calculates Labour has brought in.

Driving to Wales this morning I heard that on the Clegg Web Which Laws to Scrap, 50% of the ideas came from public sector workers with ideas like having mobile phones for the public sector from one source (huh ?) and also that David Cameron thought having volunteer civic gardeners was a jolly good idea ! Plus CRB checks should be transportable for public servants as they move from one quango to another.

Dear reader, it is not a good idea to beat your head repeatedly against the steering wheel whilst driving down the M4 in the rain.

a) it makes your head hurt

b) it causes other drivers concern

In four years the bonfire has turned into Nick Clegg rubbing his knees together to try and get a decent spark going, let alone start a conflagration. When I appeared on the BBC recently I was asked ‘if this was a stunt or a genuine attempt at people power?’ I replied that it was a stunt, and that there is no way,  however popular the Clegg website was, that Government was going persuade its Civil Servants to part with the powers that they accrued under the runny Brown Terror.

An extreme Government passed thousands of Laws to criminalise the majority of the population. QED we all get a nice little file on us. Those of us too young to have a criminal file, it was proposed that a file should be opened on them at birth and follow them throughout their school life.

Everybody who phoned into the programme I was on, had real, serious points to make about having a real,  serious bonfire – what do we get?  ‘ Civic gardeners are a good idea’.

Lets start with the ‘Regulation of  Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, this Act was brought in to regulate the public bodies that are now allowed to follow you around, place you under surveillance and keep a record of your comings and goings. Considering that over half of the population works for the State, one half of the population is keeping its eyes on the other half. I am not sure that even the STASI managed that feat.

Do you ever wonder at what stage you would have left Germany between 1933-9 if you were a Jew, a Liberal, a Socialist, a Communist, Gay or would you just sit there and saying it cannot be that bad, this is Germany after all.

Here is the list of public bodies that can act like amateur Dick Tracy’s at your expense.

Agencies with investigative powers

• Charity Commission
• Criminal Cases Review Commission
• Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service
• A county council or district council in England, a London borough council, the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, and any county council or county borough council in Wales
• Department for Transport, for the purposes of:
  • Marine Accident Investigation Branch
  • Rail Accident Investigation Branch
  • Air Accidents Investigation Branch
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
• a district council within the meaning of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972
• Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland
• Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland (for the purposes of Trading Standards)
• Department of Health (for the purposes of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)
• Department of Trade and Industry
• Environment Agency
• Financial Services Authority
• a fire and rescue authority
• Fire Authority for Northern Ireland
• Food Standards Agency
• Gambling Commission
• Gangmasters Licensing Authority
• Government Communications Headquarters
• Health and Safety Executive
• HM Revenue and Customs
• Home Office (for the purposes of the UK Border Agency)
• Independent Police Complaints Commission
• Information Commissioner
• a Joint Board where it is a fire authority
• Ofcom
• Office of Fair Trading
• The Pensions Regulator
• Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
• Port of Dover Police
• Port of Liverpool Police
• Post Office Investigation Branch
• Postal Services Commission
• NHS ambulance service Trust
• NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service
• Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Services Trust
• Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Central Services Agency
• Royal Navy Regulating Branch
• Royal Military Police
• Royal Air Force Police
• Scottish Ambulance Service Board
• a Scottish council where it is a fire authority
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Secret Intelligence Service
• Security Service
• Serious Fraud Office
• the special police forces (including the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency)
• the territorial police forces
• Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

Directed surveillance & covert human intelligence sources

• the armed forces
• Charity Commission
• Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection
• a county council or district council in England, a London borough council, the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as a local authority, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, and any county council or county borough council in Wales
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (for the purposes of the Marine Fisheries Agency)
• Department of Health (for the purposes of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)
• Department of Trade and Industry
• Department for Transport (for the purposes of transport security, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, Driving Standards Agency and Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Environment Agency
• Financial Services Authority
• a fire authority
• Food Standards Agency
• Gambling Commission
• Gangmasters Licensing Authority
• Government Communications Headquarters
• Commissioners of Revenue and Customs
• Home Office (for the purposes of HM Prison Service and the UK Border Agency)
• Ministry of Defence
• National Assembly for Wales (for the purposes of the NHS Directorate, NHS Finance Division, Common Agricultural Policy Management Division and Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales)
• Northern Ireland Office (for the purposes of the Northern Ireland Prison Service)
• Ofcom
• Office of Fair Trading
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Prescott !)
• Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
• Postal Services Commission
• Port of Dover Police
• Port of Liverpool Police
• Royal Mail
• Secret Intelligence Service
• Security Service
• Serious Fraud Office
• a territorial police force or special police force

Directed surveillance

The reasons for which the use of directed surveillance is permitted vary with each authority. Refer to the legislation for more specific information.

• Health & Safety Executive
• Information Commissioner
• Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools in England (for the purposes of the Complaints, Investigation and Enforcement Team)
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain !!!!

How many Policemen do we need ? This is a direct consequence of too many cop shows on TV.

Whilst you draw breath, in the United Kingdom the basic phrase special police has no particular meaning and is not usually used to describe a member of a special police force in preference to standard descriptions; special constables are voluntary and/or part-time members found in both territorial and special police forces. Whilst in the United States, where I think that all this comes from, the term special police means

• Fire Police, members of specialized traffic control units responding with volunteer fire companies;
• Auxiliary Police, members of volunteer, unpaid, part-time civilian police units;
• Special Law Enforcement Officers – used in New Jersey to supplement full time police officers;
• Security police; or
• Company police.

The term can also refer to limited police power granted in some jurisdictions to lifeguards, SPCA personnel, teachers, and other public sector employees which is incidental to their main responsibilities. Special Police Officers (or SPO’s) can be employed to protect large campuses such as theme parks, hospital centers, and commerce centers.

None of this is my original research it is lifted from here.

The ‘Independent’ Investigatory Powers Tribunal has only upheld 4 complaints out of nearly a thousand made in the last ten years.

‘Your’ previous elected Government gave these bodies their powers, this Con-Dem Government has not scrapped these powers, the bonfire talked of by Clegg was just hot air, which is about as much heat as will be generated from this bonfire.

Why is a NHS Ambulance Service Trust on a par with the SIS ?

Perhaps this is the reason.

In 2007, Operation Barbatus exposed a sophisticated criminal surveillance business organised by corrupt police officers. A former Metropolitan Police officer, Jeremy Young was jailed for 27 months for various offences including six counts of conspiracy to intercept communications unlawfully. A second former policeman Scott Gelsthorpe, was sentenced to 24 months for offences including conspiracy to intercept communications unlawfully. 3 other former police officers and a private detective were also jailed for their part in running a private detective agency called Active Investigation Services^.

These boys forgot they no longer had warrant cards and were working in the private sector.

There are lots of openings above for recently-retired-on-full-pension policemen. I actually asked an Insurance assessor which force he was previously with when the Insurance company sent him along to interview me in connection with a car that had been stolen at Bristol Airport. He admitted he was previously a policeman with Devon & Cornwall, and asked how I knew. Because you are accusing me of stealing my own car as an insurance scam by the line of questioning, and you are using standard statement forms in connection with the Perjury Act 1911. ( My car was recovered by the Dugs Squad three years later two miles from the Airport). Insurance Companies are not actually on the above lists.

A simple one line bill should have been introduced within the first week

PROTECTION OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY OF THE CITIZEN ACT 2010

No public body shall carry out any investigation into a Citizen of the United Kingdom without a signed warrant from a Judge sitting in Chambers.

As Tony Blair once said ‘We do not live in a Police State’.   As I said at the time ‘ pull the other one’

Andrew P Withers.

Sarbanes Oxley
August 6, 2010 at 19:42

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is a self-administered and elected body
which relies on theknowledge and wisdom of experts to police its members

SadButMadLad August 6, 2010 at 22:05

Also, they can investigate without having to prove why they need to do
it. At least with a judge the body needs to show why they need to
investigate and it will be on public record.

Joe Public August 6, 2010 at 17:59

“Considering that over half of the population works for the State, one half
of the population is keeping its eyes on the other half.

1 x statement that may be correct; 1 x incorrect presumption.

Does anyone think that those who work for the state are not themselves
under surveillance? Half the State is probably keeping its eyes on 95% of the
population. The watchers are themselves being watched. Oh the irony.

Sarbanes Oxley
August 6, 2010 at 15:50

If they could keep the streets safe and clean, make transport run on time
and sort out welfare I wouldn

electro-kevin August 6, 2010 at 13:12

D’ya know what ?

If they could keep the streets safe and clean, make transport run on time
and sort out welfare I wouldn’t give a monkeys what investigative powers they
all have. But as it is we get the worst of all worlds. Only the law-abiding,
accountable and self-reliant have anything to fear from the State … they want
what you’ve got.

Andrew Withers
(LPUK) August 6, 2010 at 11:34

don

Mick Turatian
August 6, 2010 at 11:46

Thirty years ago nobody believed that the first duty of the government
was to protect the citizen.

Today this precept is almost axiomatic.

It all flows from this.

Brian August 6, 2010 at 12:04

But you are willing to have the unelected, unaccountable,
unrepresentative members of the Big Wig Wearers Guild to decide. Given the
recent intake of PC pseudo-Marxist, Roman Law loving social engineers
foisted on us in order to remove the protection of English Common Law and
replace it with a Code Napoleon which begins by the State setting out the
rights of the citizen instead of assuming the innate freedom of the
individual I am amazed.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is a
self-administered and elected body which relies on theknowledge and wisdom
of experts to police its members’ activities. Remarkably well.

Brian August 6, 2010 at 11:25

I think that British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and
MoD Police are the special or non-territorial UK police forces you refer
to.
As the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has been granted
supervisory powers by charter and legislation over its members (who are
allowed to handle and dispense poisons and other dangerous chemicals) don’t
you think that it should have enhanced surveillance powers over its
members?
The real problem is where delegated authorities misuse their
rightful powers (for it is very reasonable in narrow circumstances to have
surveillance or investigatory powers to carry out their strict duties, eg to
catch benefit cheats etc) to adapt them to changing circumstances. Whilst
imagination is normally to be lauded the correct approach should be to request
Parliament for a specific extension of their powers. Otherwise, the
authorities are acting ultra vires in spirit if not in law.

Furor Teutonicus
August 6, 2010 at 09:48

XX Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Prescott !) XX

Replace that with Pr

Andrew Withers
(LPUK) August 6, 2010 at 09:37

Wasn

Blue
Eyes August 6, 2010 at 09:07

“Considering that over half of the population works for the State”

Really? Really?

Jon August 6, 2010 at 13:49

Yes, it’s about 52% if I remember correctly. You do need to include many
people who you wouldn’t naturally think as civil servants. Quango staff down
to fake charities fully funded by government monies.

Blue
Eyes August 6, 2010 at 09:06

“Driving to Wales this morning I heard that on the Clegg Web Which Laws to
Scrap, 50% of the ideas came from public sector workers with ideas like having
mobile phones for the public sector from one source (huh ?) and also that
David Cameron thought having volunteer civic gardeners was a jolly good idea
!”

Wasn’t that the spending cuts web site rather than the law cuts web
site?

Sarbanes Oxley
August 6, 2010 at 08:36

I see Contact Point was switched off this morning, so perhaps Clegg’s knees
have warmed a little.