Principles of Democracy
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Priti Unfair
Alf Dubs, member of the House of Lords, writes: Where to start with Patel’s ‘overhaul’ of the rules regarding asylum, announced today? The Home Office claims it is ‘collapsing’ under the number of asylum claims. The Home Secretary herself described the asylum process as ‘broken’. But this government has been in charge for a decade,…
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For Everybody to See
“The contracts are there on record for everybody to see,” said the Prime Minister. Except for the 100 he’d forgotten about. 19 February 2021The High Court rules that the Health Secretary acted unlawfully by not publishing contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds. 22 February 2021The Prime Minister assured us that all was there to…
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Protecting the Judges
The Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland plans to protect judges from being drawn into politics, according to a press release issued yesterday. Those are the words used to introduce a new balance between government, the judiciary and citizens. Cabinet ministers have been seen acting unlawfully by the courts and the Government’s response is, according to shadow…
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Whitehall of Mirrors
Whitehall in 2021 is like a hall of mirrors, a maze of illusions and broken promises. Revelations, which a few years ago would have caused resignation, are simply shrugged off and brushed into oblivion. Last November the Prime Minister announced he backed the Home Secretary Priti Patel after it had been confirmed she broke the…
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Stifling Non-Violent Protest
The UK Government is rushing the so-called “Police Bill” through Parliament. The bill features several eye-catching items, such as power to ministers and police to curb “non-violent protest” and that assault on a “dead” statue gives a longer maximum sentence than assault on a living emergency worker. Yesterday MPs voted for the newer, stricter rules…
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Press under Pressure
Like Freedom of Speech, the Freedom of the Press is one of the building bricks in a healthy democracy. Citizens should have access to news and other information from different providers presenting a multitude of angles and opinions. Investigative reporters should be able to, in a professional way, hold people of power to account. But…
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Trashing the Mash
The BBC has decided to discontinue the satire show “The Mash Report” on grounds that it is too left-wing and woke. What the BBC decision makers seem to have overlooked is that the nature of satire is to mock politicians and other people in power. Since the Conservative Party has been in power for more…
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Use it or Lose it
We’ve only had universal suffrage for a bit more than a century. A hundred years might sound like a long time, but from a historical perspective it’s a drop in the ocean. It’s often emphasised that the 1918 electoral reform gave women the right to vote, but what we tend to forget was that it…
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A Tender Touch
Every year the Government spends billions of pounds on goods and services. If there isn’t enough revenue from taxes, they have to borrow. If they borrow, the loan will of course eventually have to be paid back, and that will also have to – in the end – be tax money. It’s important to remember…
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Conflict of Free Speech
You’d be forgiven for thinking that in a democracy you can say what you like thanks to the Human Rights Act of 1998. The UN also mentions the freedom of opinion and expression in its Declaration of Human Rights. But personal freedoms should always be cherished and used with care. In a fair society my…