White Rose is a protest blog collective focusing on civil liberties in the UK.
It was set up to point a finger at the erosion of personal freedom in the UK.
Government's active measures introduce new means of control such as identity cards and surveillance cameras, the passive measures such as weakening of double jeopardy and presumption of innocence.
The arguments
- Most measures regarding security and crime control do not work.
- Their effect is restriction of 'honest citizen's' privacy and freedom.
- Alternative solutions to the security and privacy 'trade-off'
The resistants
Gabriel Syme and Perry de Havilland of Samizdata.net to rally the Anglosphere behind the UK.
White Rose contributors are those bloggers and non-bloggers who oppose restrictions on personal liberties.
To find out how to become a White Rose contributor, please
go here.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
ID cards passed
The ID card bill has been passed...
Government plans for national identity cards were approved by the Commons last night despite more than a quarter of MPs not voting.
Although Conservative and Labour rebels failed to derail the Identity Cards Bill, they provoked a highly embarrassing mass abstention.
Horrible news indeed and Bill Cash had the right idea:
At one stage Bill Cash (C, Stone) brandished a copy of George Orwell's novel 1984 at the Home Secretary, challenging him to repudiate claims that the measure would effect a "sea change" in the relationship between state and individual.
The fight ain't over yet. I expected the govt to get its way in the commons especially after Michael Howard decided to back the bill and split his own party. Still what do you expect from the man who tried to introduce them last time the Tories held office?
There's still the remaining Commons debates and perhaps more hopefully the Lords. Should it end up on the statute books, there's plenty of time to organise a campaign of mass non-cooperation with the system -- refusal to apply for one by a sufficient proportion of the population will scupper the system.
These are the people that gave us the Dome,just put Presco in charge,it will never happen.
(0)
