Queen's Speech more than usually abysmal
Anybody slightly horrified by the Queen's speech, during which the government revealed its obsessive concern with so-called "security", may want to have a think about getting themselves to this public meeting:
Of all the many stupid ideas New Labour have confected over the past few years, ID cards do come close to taking the biscuit. With police stop and searches for British Asians up by 302% between 2002-2003, ID cards will be little more than an excuse for our wonderful police forces to harrass every single black or Asian person in the entire country, whenever they feel like it and on whatever unpleasant whim takes their fancy. They are already making the most of the opportunities the "anti-terror" legislation has provided, and will exploit ID cards for all they're worth. Security? Compulsory ID cards would have stopped 9/11? Ridiculous bloody nonsense.
It's pretty clear what New Labour think they can win - or at least flollop through - the next general election with. That, to me, looks like a gauntlet being thrown down for the real Left: let BLunkett bleat on about ASBOs, let Blair threaten to twist the legislative screws a few more times. We can defeat them on the particulars, with ID cards top on the list, and I'm quietly confident we can undermine them on the general.
STOP ID CARDS
Tuesday 30th November 2004
Speakers:
- Karen Couhan, 1990 Trust
- Weyman Bennet, Unite Against Fascism
- Nadine Finch, Statewatch
- Simon Davies, No2ID
The Brix, St Matthew's Church, Brixton SW2
Of all the many stupid ideas New Labour have confected over the past few years, ID cards do come close to taking the biscuit. With police stop and searches for British Asians up by 302% between 2002-2003, ID cards will be little more than an excuse for our wonderful police forces to harrass every single black or Asian person in the entire country, whenever they feel like it and on whatever unpleasant whim takes their fancy. They are already making the most of the opportunities the "anti-terror" legislation has provided, and will exploit ID cards for all they're worth. Security? Compulsory ID cards would have stopped 9/11? Ridiculous bloody nonsense.
It's pretty clear what New Labour think they can win - or at least flollop through - the next general election with. That, to me, looks like a gauntlet being thrown down for the real Left: let BLunkett bleat on about ASBOs, let Blair threaten to twist the legislative screws a few more times. We can defeat them on the particulars, with ID cards top on the list, and I'm quietly confident we can undermine them on the general.
posted by Meaders at
5:57 pm
