Thursday, April 16, 2009

Damien Green not to be charged

So, 20 anti-terror police pulled of defending against Al-Qaeda, raids on parliament and an MPs home address and now, no charges against Damien Green. We had Whitehall Mandarins talking up a threat to 'national security' and now-disgraced Bob Quick dropping everything to support his political masters. We had harassment of the opposition by the government and police and an astonishing contempt for the basic liberties of our elected representatives, and by extension everyone else. We then had the long, intimidating silence while the CPS reviewed the case and at the end of it, no case to answer. What kind of state do we live in when the police can drag an MP into nine hours of questioning, go through his files and then put him under threat of criminal charges for months because he annoyed a Civil Servant? Things will have to change, and it should start with the man who told the police about the bogus national security threat. That is a clear abuse of office and he should be fired, or perhaps charged with wasting police time. Parliament has already changed the protocols so that the police won't get in without a warrant, but that is not enough. We need to be convinced that any of us won't suddenly victimised at some official's whim, and officials need to know that if they abuse their powers then their world will get a whole lot worse.

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