Convention on Modern Liberty - David Davis video.

Convention on Modern Liberty - 28th Feb 2009

The Convention on Modern Liberty will be a one day gathering of 1,000 people on Saturday 28 February 2009 at the Institute for Education in central London and as many again in the parallel regional and national meetings in Belfast, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Manchester, and Cardiff. It is being sponsored by Rowntrees, openDemocracy, Liberty and the Guardian.

From Anthony Barnett, Phil Booth, Shami Chakrabarti, Henry Porter, Stuart Weir:

We are entering a dangerous period in our country. Economic turmoil threatens profound hardship and disharmony. Disenchantment with politics is growing and even legitimate protest is threatened by an unprecedented programme of challenges to our rights, freedoms and democracy. Sixty years ago Britain was a proud co-author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Now it is increasingly centralized, abandoning its historic principles some of which date back to the Magna Carta.

The Government’s continued stated determination to extend detention without charge in terrorism cases to 42 days is one symbol of the damage done to our hard-won rights and freedoms. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), which gives hundreds of agencies access to people’s records without their knowing, is another. The collection of all available records on a huge central database for the use of the authorities is a third.

We believe that such threats can be overcome but only if the public is woken to the dangers. While we may be impatient for action, the issues must be addressed in an open-minded way with as thorough and accessible public debate as possible.

Therefore we invite you to join a Convention on Modern Liberty. It will ask three broad questions:

Are our freedoms and rights threatened by an over-powerful state and if so how do we defend ourselves from this?

Are dangers to our security from terrorism and other threats, from climate change to pandemics being used to attack our rights, and how can we best defend ourselves?

How can we arouse sustained public interest?

We are making Modern Liberty a convention not a conference. We want to bring as many people together to see what common ground can be reached in defence of our freedoms. The Guardian is the main media partner. The Rowntree Reform and Charitable Trusts and the Rowntree Foundation are initial supporters. A wide range of organisations are joining the event from across the political spectrum.

Fundamental rights and freedoms are common to us all. The Universal Declaration recognises ‘the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world’. In Britain such values have an even longer history. We are indeed the inheritors of an inspiring tradition of liberty.

At the same time technical advances from information technology to explosives and the threats of catastrophic climatic change have altered the framework of power and fear.

This calls for a renewal of our democratic self-confidence. This is the purpose of the Convention on Modern Liberty. Whether you agree or not we hope you will join us to debate these issues.

Anthony Barnett (openDemocracy)
Phil Booth (NO2ID)
Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty)
Henry Porter (the Observer)
Stuart Weir (Democratic Audit)

David Cameron and Carol Vorderman play in the snow (and talk Maths).

This is something Gordon Brown could never do:



You can watch the actual webcast of the Maths taskforce launch by clicking HERE.

Michael Martin's statement on Damian Green's arrest.

Michael Martin has made his statement to the house on Damian Green's arrest. First of all I thoroughly believe that Martin is using Serjeant at Arms as a scapegoat. The very first words out of my mouth when informed by the Serjeant at Arms that the Police intended to raid an MP's office would be: "Not without a bloody warrant they won't" And I now promise to vote Labour in the next General Election if Michael Martin did not utter very similar words. And if he didn't, then he bloody well should have, and he should step down if that is the case.

The Serjeant at Arms should be sacked for incompetence and her position returned to its former stature. It's shameful in the extreme that the government are still trying to spin their way out of this attack on democracy. David Cameron had Brown bang to rights when he said that Labour were relying on their belief that the public are stupid. And when are Labour going to realise that putting Mandelson on our screens does nothing but scare the kids and reinforce the our opinion that Labour MPs are a bunch of liars. You've got be some kind of colossal idiot to believe that Mandelson will boost your party's image.

Also very disturbing is the fact that Gordon Brown refused to agree that it was wrong for the Police to raid Green's office without a search warrant. Unbelievable!

Oh - and another thing - Iain Dale asks some very important question about police warrants.

Haltemprice and Howden - David Davis could get more votes than in 2005.

David Davis could well pull off a decent if not great result in the Haltemprice and Howden By-Election. Early estimates put the turn out at 35% which means that it is possible for David to beat the number of votes he got in 2005 (22,792, but it would be close). This kind of result would of course be excellent considering Labour bottled it.

From the BBC (before they realised the turnout was so high):

Could the former shadow home secretary actually get more votes than he did in the 2005 general election? Impossible say the experts. If he does get more than 22,792 votes it will not only be a massive vindication of his campaign against 42 day detention of terror suspects, it will also confirm him as a major player at Westminster once again and ensure civil liberties is a major issue at the next general election. It will also leave a few Westminster pundits with large amounts of egg on their faces - surely reason enough to tune into the election coverage later, just on the off chance...

UPDATE 0245: Turn out was 35% and David Davis was the clear winner with 17119 votes. I think that can be taken to be a good result.

David Davis - Most Unlikely Civil Liberties Defender.

I just love this from Billy Ruffian: David Davis should be proud.

Most Unlikely Civil Liberties Defender Of All

Calling Haltemprice and Howden - please vote for liberty.

Today you the residents of Haltemprice and Howden have a unique chance to send the government a clear message. With each vote you cast in favour of David Davis you are telling our political masters that enough is enough - that they have taken your freedom and liberty for granted for the last time. To send this message, you will need to vote, so I beg you to please send a message from the nation to Brown.

It could you being fined for over filling your bin. It could you that gets locked up for six weeks without charge (innocent or not). It could be your DNA held on the national database without ever being found guilty of a crime. Your child could be one of the many thousands of innocent kids held on that same database. Gordon Brown will soon force you to carry an ID card, but to add insult to injury, you will be paying for the privilege through your tax to set up the scheme, and you will be paying direct from your pocket to buy your own card.

Did you know that you can walk the length of London without ever being "off camera", what's it like in your town? what will it be like in the future if Gordon's government are not stopped? Did you know that every time you ring the council, or when they ring you, that you are being recorded whether you give permission or not? Did you know that there are 266 powers allowing officials to enter your home? Whatever happened to our castles?

So please, I beg you again to go out and vote me, yourself and the rest of the nation.


UPDATE: From the Telegraph: "Despite fears that a tiny turnout might affect the result, voters in Howden were queuing outside the Shire Hall in the sunshine as the booths opened at 7am." - I hope this is an indicator for the rest of the day.

PoliticsHome article on David Davis is a total failure.

The title of the post that PoliticsHome is emailing to political bloggers reads:

IT'S OFFICIAL: DAVID DAVIS' CAMPAIGN A TOTAL FAILURE.

I have to wonder if they chose that title in the hope of receiving the kind of reply I'm about to write.

They have produced figures from their PHI5000 showing that (in their words) the number of people who oppose 42-day detention has remained largely unchanged. If anything, it has dropped since his resignation. I don't discount the accuracy of their figures, but they are not the only figures available on this subject. To call David's campaign (officially) A TOTAL FAILURE based on their own findings is just a little misleading (to say the very least). If you were to read Iain Dale's blog today you would come to a totally different conclusion to PoliticsHome. In fact you could say that the campaign has been A TOTAL SUCCESS.

From Iain's blog:

A Joseph Rowntree/ ICM poll today has found that that 61% of people oppose detaining terrorist suspects for longer than 28 days. Four weeks ago 69% were said to support the government view on 42 days. This adds weight to the view that the more people hear about 42 days, the less they like it. The ICM poll shows that whilst 36% of those asked think people who may be guilty of a terrorist offence should be held in detention for up to six week, or 42 days, before they are charged or released, 32% say it should be up to four weeks, 13% up to two weeks, 10% up to one week and 6% up to four days.

The subject of 42 days has not been out of the press since David Davis resigned. Prominent figures from all sides of the floor have given David their support. Not to mention some very serious celebrity campaigners.

I would like to suggest to PoliticsHome that - while they may have a great site, an excellent panel of political insiders and a large public opinion tracker (5000) - whoever writes the titles to their posts would probably feel more at home working for the Sunday Sport.


UPDATE: ConHome have done something similar to PolHome.

The lords debate the Counter Terrorism Bill Live (42 days).

The lords are now debating the Counter Terrorism Bill (42 days). You can watch it live by clicking HERE.

History is England, England is history?

History is England.
Law.
Democracy.
Votes for all men.
Votes for women.
One law for all.
Innocent until proven guilty.
The abolition of slavery.
The end of child labour.
Fighting for our freedom at home.
Fighting for the freedom of others abroad.
Human rights.
Equal rights.
History is England.

England is history.
ID Cards.
Positive discrimination.
Extraordinary rendition.
DNA Database.
Phone taps.
CCTV.
42 days detention without charge.
Anonymous witnesses.
Trial without Jury.
Asset freezing.
Restrictions on peaceful protest.
England is history.

Would Winston Churchill agree with David Davis?

Wise words from some bloke called Winston Churchill:

We must never cease to proclaim in fearless tones the great principles of freedom and the rights of man which are the joint inheritance of the English-speaking world and which through Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, the Habeas Corpus, trial by jury, and the English common law find their most famous expression in the American Declaration of Independence.

All this means that the people of any country have the right, and should have the power by constitutional action, by free unfettered elections, with secret ballot, to choose or change the character or form of government under which they dwell; that freedom of speech and thought should reign; that courts of justice, independent of the executive, unbiased by any party, should administer laws which have received the broad assent of large majorities or are consecrated by time and custom. Here are the title deeds of freedom which should lie in every cottage home. Here is the message of the British and American peoples to mankind. Let us preach what we practise - let us practise what we preach.

March 5, 1946
Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri

British Democracy is not working.

I'm not saying we should ditch democracy and take up communism or fascism or any of the extreme political ideologies, but I do believe that democracy in Britain simply does not work. Democracy is a dream which should (at least in theory) benefit all citizens.

From Wikipedia:

Democracy is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and either exercised directly by citizens or through their elected representatives.

Even though there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy', there are two principles that any definition of democracy is required to have:

The first principle is that all members of the society have equal access to power.

The second is that all members enjoy universally recognised freedoms and liberties.

Does that sound anything like our country under the current political climate? Personally I believe that it doesn't, especially after the way Gordon Brown corruptly bought our liberty prior to the vote on extending detention without charge to 42 days. I have very little doubt (if any) that some Labour and the nine DUP MPs were offered incentives to vote with the government. I understand that whipping MPs to vote in favour of the party is common practice, but in this case Gordon Brown over-stepped the mark by trading our money (taken in tax) to buy our liberty. For that alone he deserves to be removed from power - never again to practice politics in this country.

The problem with democracy in our country is that it has been twisted and warped so that it no longer serves the people - democracy now serves whichever political party happens to be in government. Democracy has been transformed into a gravy train for the political elite. I'm afraid that when a government has a large majority, and its MPs are willing to allow their morals and principles to be bought, then democracy becomes just a hollow word, not a system of governance that represents the will of its citizens or protects their basic freedoms.

So what is the alternative? Well I would not propose to abandon democracy, I believe that it just needs fixing (Not Gordon Brown's idea of fixing):

1. Whipping above 'two line' should be banned.

2. All (ALL) votes in the House of Commons should be free votes. Anyone trying to coerce support through threat or favour should face criminal charges.

3. Anyone found taking bribes or favours for their support should face criminal charges.

The reason I believe whipping above two line should be banned, is that anything above two line is a direct abuse of the representative democracy we are supposed to practice in this country. We vote for our MPs, and we send them to Westminster to represent us - not their political party. No one, I repeat, no one should be able to obstruct (by force, bribery or any other illegal means) my MP from carrying out that primary and solemn duty to represent me.

From Wikipedia:

Three Line Whip:

A strict instruction to attend and vote in a particular way, breach of which could have serious consequences; binding for both attendance and voting. Non-attendance permission can be given by the Whip, but a serious reason is needed. Breach of a three-line whip can lead to expulsion from the parliamentary political group in extreme circumstances, and may lead to expulsion from the party. Consequently, three-line whips are generally only issued on key issues, such as votes of confidence and supply. The nature of three line whips and the potential punishments for revolt varies dramatically among parties and legislatures.

Do you think that a government should be able to three line whip its MPs on matters of civil liberty? Can you think of any other ways to make our country more democratic?

David Davis to start his own Political Party?

Now, I don't believe this will happen in a million years, but:

From William Hill:

DAVID DAVIS 7/1 TO QUIT TORIES AND START HIS OWN PARTY

AFTER fielding a number of enquiries for odds that former shadow Home Secretary David Davis will launch his own political Party in time for the next General Election, William Hill are offering odds of 7/1 that he will do just that.

'Several political punters have asked us for odds about this happening and you can make a convincing scenario for it to happen, so we are offering 7/1 that at the next General Election David Davis will stand for election for a new Party which will field two or more candidates.' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Labour MPs pledge support to David Davis over 42 Days.

One of the biggest jokes, and I might add, lies of the last week was Labour's claim that the Tories are split over 42 Days. Let's look at the facts: On the vote for the extension of detention without charge to 42 Days only one Conservative MP rebelled against their party. However, there were 36 Labour rebels, and there would have been more if it hadn't been for some desperate arm twisting and bribery. To prove the point, and to embarrass Gordon Brown into a fit of mobile phone smashing mania, two of his MPs have pledged their support to David Davis in his by-election campaign. Now that's a split. The air must be a wonderful shade of blue in Downing Street this morning.

Will Brown have the cheek to call the Tories split over this matter again? I think he will because once he starts using a line, he tends to wear it out. And he's got so used to lying to the public he will conclude that there's no point stopping now. Brown has called this move by Davis a farce. What is a real farce is the fact that Brown is too scared to put up a Labour candidate for fear of losing. And what's even more farcical is that the Labour guy who should be fighting Davis (Edward Hart) is anti-42 days. Can you Adam and Eve it?

Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews has said:

“I applaud David Davis’s decision to resign and fight a by-election on the single issue of civil liberty. “The election will obviously transcend party politics and I have written to David Davis to inform him that I will be happy to accept any invitation to speak during the course of his campaign to ensure that the voice of a substantial part of the Labour party may be heard.”

Also pledging his support, Ian Gibson, Labour MP for Norwich North, said:

“Davis has a good argument. You can call it a stunt or a gimmick, but there is a serious side to this. I’m quite happy to join in. I’d be quite happy to share that platform to talk about what I think.”

Brown and some sections of the Labour party are going to lose a lot of face and support before this by-election is over. Well done to those Labour MPs who are supporting David's fight for our civil liberties.

David Davis on why he is fighting to defend our basic freedoms

From the Conservative Website:

Yesterday, I announced my intention to resign from the House of Commons, which I have served as an MP for 21 years, and also as shadow home secretary, a position I have held for almost five years, in order to fight a by-election in my constituency of Haltemprice and Howden. Why?

On Wednesday, we witnessed a severe blow to liberal democracy in this country. On the one hand, Gordon Brown extended the maximum period of pre-charge detention to 42 days, sacrificing one of the most fundamental freedoms of every British citizen - the right not to be held in prolonged police detention without being told the charges against you. He sacrificed a fundamental liberty without a shred of evidence that it was necessary. And he did so against the advice of many security experts who warned that it may fuel the very extremism we are trying to defeat.

On the other hand, in pawning off one of the crown jewels of our democracy, the Prime Minister stooped to the lowest level, with widespread reports that he threatened and bought off just enough voices of dissent within his own party to sneak this measure through. Despite the frenetic excitement around Westminster, this was a sad day for the mother of parliaments.

We already had the longest period of detention without charge in the free world. Now it has been further increased - by half - just as we approach the anniversary of the Magna Carta, which has guaranteed the freedom of the individual from arbitrary detention for nearly 800 years. David Cameron will continue to lead our steadfast opposition to 42 days - which will now continue in the Lords - and I look forward to campaigning with him in Haltemprice and Howden. But this week we crossed a line. And I feel duty bound to take a personal stand to resist this sustained assault on the fundamental freedoms that millions in this country died defending.

For one thing, having secured 42 days based on the most generic of security arguments - technology, complexity, unpredictability - this Government will be tempted by the politics of terror to keep coming back for 56, then 70, then 90 days. That is why I believe we must draw a line now.

The truth is that, while 42 days marks a watershed, it is only the latest in the steady, insidious and relentless erosion of our freedoms over the past decade.

We will soon have the most intrusive ID card system in the world. There is a CCTV camera for every 14 citizens - despite growing evidence of their ineffectiveness as deployed. We have the largest DNA database in the world, larger than any dictatorship, with thousands of innocent children and millions of innocent citizens on it.

The Government has attacked the jury system, that historic bulwark against unfair law and the arbitrary abuse of state power. Shortcuts with our legal system have left British justice less firm and less fair. The Government hoards masses of personal data on insecure databases, opening up our private lives to the prying eyes of official snoopers, but also exposing personal data to careless civil servants and criminal hackers.

The state has security powers that clamp down on peaceful protest, and so-called hate laws that stifle legitimate debate - while those inciting violence get off scot-free. A 15-year-old boy was recently charged on the spot for holding a banner describing scientology as a "dangerous cult", but extremists such as Abu Hamza are left free for years to incite violence and vitriol against this country.

There are now 266 state powers allowing officials to force their way into the home. Six hundred public bodies have the authority to bug phones and emails and intercept the post. Forget the security services: councils and quangos conduct 1,000 surveillance operations every month, using powers that ought to be the preserve of law enforcement agencies. Officials in Poole spied for weeks on a family taking their children to school, to check that they lived inside the catchment area. Even our rubbish can now be examined by neighbourhood spooks.

None of this has made us any safer. Violent crime has doubled in 10 years, and the Government continually briefs blood-curdling assessments of the terrorist threat. It is a myth to believe that we can defend our security by sacrificing our fundamental freedoms - one I intend to puncture over the next few weeks.

I am fighting this by-election as the Conservative candidate, but on vital national issues that transcend party politics. I hope to attract support from across the political spectrum, and the country at large. I look forward to taking on those who say the British public do not care about liberty - this campaign will be about leading a national debate, not pandering to polls. At stake is my own career as a Member of Parliament, but more fundamentally a long overdue debate on the preservation of liberty in this great country.

There will be those that cast aspersions on this endeavour, and those who try to suggest divisions within the Conservative Party. Yesterday, Westminster was foaming with speculation about a rift between me and David Cameron. It is nonsense. We have been united from start to finish on 42 days and wider security policy. We agreed that a Conservative government would immediately repeal 42 days, in the absence of the most compelling new evidence. And I am fully committed to David Cameron's fine leadership of the Conservative Party, including the excellent appointment of Dominic Grieve, one of my closest friends, as shadow home secretary.

So, as I return to Haltemprice and Howden, I lay down this challenge to Gordon Brown and his Government. Labour must put up a candidate to debate and defend their draconian track record. Anything else would demonstrate supreme political cowardice and contempt for public opinion.

I challenge the Prime Minister and any other member of his Cabinet with the courage of their convictions. I will debate with any one of them - any time, anywhere - what Gordon Brown euphemistically referred to as the "next chapter of British liberty".

I have a question for those who say the party are split on this: Why was this article publish on the Conservative Website?

Gordon Brown "bottles it" part 2. He daren't face Davis.

Gordon Brown and his party's response to David Davis's resignation has been truly pathetic. They can't even "bottle it" with any kind of style and they are dithering about when to announce their cowardly stance. Harriet Harman has just been interviewed on the BBC and refused twice to say whether Labour would stand against Davis in the by-election. What are Labour waiting for? I'll tell you, they are waiting for Gordon Brown to make a decision - I hope they are not holding their breath. Gordon as usual is waiting to see what public opinion is on this matter. I imagine he is pretty sure that he won't put up a candidate, but since becoming PM he has realised that he is absolutely useless at gauging public feeling. Therefore he will wait until the last minute to officially announce that Labour will not face Davis.

Labour are trying to say that this brave move by Davis shows that the Conservative party is split on its terror policy. That's funny because Davis is going to fight his campaign on official Tory terror policies. Dominic Grieve, the man who has replaced Davis on the shadow cabinet holds exactly the same opinions on terror as David, and come to mention it, so does David Cameron. How is that split? It is in fact the Labour party who are split on terror. On the 42 days vote, no less than 36 Labour MPs rebelled. It is quite obvious from reading the press over the last few days that many more would have rebelled, if wasn't for some arm twisting and last minute bribes. As we all know the vote was won only with the help of the DUP, who Brown says were not bribed. Does anyone, anywhere believe that?

David Davis is right. This vote was won in the most dirty and underhanded way. Any Labour supporters reading this should be ashamed of their party today. Gordon Brown has zero respect for democracy. This has been proved once again today by Brown saying he will plough on with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty even after Ireland have voted NO. Brown does not want to fight Davis over our Liberty because he knows for a fact that he will lose. As the polls indicate, we are sick of the growing security state and we are tired of Gordon Brown and his cabinet.

Well done David Davis. From what I have seen around the Web, you have the support of the Conservative party and the majority of its members.

I'm a Terrorist and I claim my £3,000 - (I'm not really, I don't want locking up for six weeks).

From The Daily Mash:

MILLIONS of people across the UK are hoping to earn up to £3000 a day by pretending to be a terrorist.

With the government offering generous compensation to anyone held without charge for more than 28 days, enterprising Britons are already getting up to speed with key Jihadist phrases.Would-be fake maniac Wayne Hayes, a shopfitter from Swindon, said: "I'm just going to wander into my local police station and say, 'I think I might be a terrorist'. "Then, at the stroke of midnight on the 29th day I'll say, 'actually, I don't think I'm a terrorist after all'. Ker-ching!"He added: "I'm sure some people will keep it going for the full 42 days, but I can only get four weeks off work."

Full story HERE.

David Davis resigns - Campaign Video - A Hero is born.

As I said in my previous post:

It takes courage to stand on principle and put his political career at risk. I know this will cause some division in the party, but as far as I'm concerned David Davis has just announced that he will fight to protect my Liberty. He should receive the support of all free men and women.

Very well done David. You are my Hero!



All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.

Breaking News - David Davis has resigned

David Davis has resigned - God knows why - more to follow.

Correction: Is to resign. He is expected to make a statement at 13:00.

It looks like he wants to fight for his seat on a anti-42 day detention footing.

From the BBC:

It is thought he wants to trigger a by-election in his Haltemprice and Howden seat.

Mr Davis has been a passionate opponent of plans to extend the terror detention limit to 42 days.

It is thought he has privately threatened to resign if the Tories wavered on the issue. He will make a statement shortly.

UPDATE: I've just listened to David Davis make his statement to the press. All I can say is BRAVO David. It takes courage to stand on principle and put his political career at risk. I know this will cause some division in the party, but as far as I'm concerned David Davis has just announced that he will fight to protect my Liberty. He should receive the support of all free men and women.

Very well done David.

David Davis on the Andrew Marr Show - 18th May 08

I've just watched David Davis on the Andrew Marr Show. What a brilliant performance. I'm not saying that as a Tory, I'm saying it as an ex-Labour supporter who is becoming more convinced by the day that joining the Conservative party was the right thing to do. The difference between the way David and his fellow shadow cabinet members come across compared to our Labour ministers is glaringly obvious. I believe that Andrew Marr enjoyed this interview and actually bought into David's view of a future Tory government.

Watch and enjoy: Click HERE. (46min and 15secs in)