Anti-terror bill

A little background for you.

A law has been passed, following terrorist actions which allowed the Government to hold foreign terror suspects indefinately without trial. 10 people are currently held under this law. But these 'emergency powers' run out on monday.

Tony Blair and Home Secretary Charles Clarke now want to pass the 'Anti-terror bill' which will continue these powers without any further concessions.

Now, as is always the case in politics at the moment, Michael Howard tries to say something meaningful to appeal to the masses but not actually disagree, saying Tony Blair is trying to make it seem he is the only one 'tough on terror' and Charles Kennedy accuses Tony Blair of putting his political pride over civil liberties (Who would you vote for?).

Anyway, regardless of me starting my campaign for the Liberal Democrats (support, I'm not running, though maybe I should...:) ) this debate I think will raise many issues to come.

For example, this bill has been (if not opposed, then concessions made of it) by the Law Lords, the House of Commons and now suffers further defeats in the House of Lords. But this thing keeps on going. I wonder where the point is when they would say to one another:
"You know, if this many people, over this amount of time think this is a bad idea, maybe we should take t back to scratch and try again with these ideas."

But of course, bureaucracy and democracy being what they are, it takes a long time to agree on anything so people are unwilling to go back to the drawing board.

I am of course thankful that (unlike the Patriot Act in the US) this thing isn't passed late a night with nobody reading it.

"So what is your point Ram?" I hear you ask. Well, it was partly to bring your attention to a bill which allows the Government to detain you without telling you why for an indefinate period of time because they have 'reasonable suspicion' you may be involved in terrorism.

It was also to draw your attention to the REAL opposition in the House of Commons, the Liberal democrats. With Labour becoming more right wing every moment, the Tories cannot mount opposition so they try to be MORE right wing and appeal to the everyman. The Liberal Democrats are the ones fighting for civil liberties, democracy, etc.

VOTE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT!

(Thanks to BBC news for reporting the news properly, in non-rant form)