Ashdown made clear revelations in the Guardian about GCHQ and its American counterpart, the National Security Agency, had raised important issues that could not be ignored or swept aside in a barrage of insults. He also criticised the Labour party, which was in power when the agencies began testing and building many of their most powerful surveillance capabilities. Labours former home secretary Jack Straw was responsible for introducing the Regulation of Investigatory Power Act 2000 (Ripa), which made the programmes legal. Ripa was a disgraceful piece of legislation, Ashdown said. Nobody put any thought into it. Labour just took the words they were given by the intelligence agencies. I dont blame the intelligence agencies. We charge them with the very serious business of keeping us secure and of course they want to have powers. But its the duty of government to ensure those powers dont destroy our liberties and Labour utterly failed to do this. One consequence of Labours negligence was the development of surveillance techniques that could damage civil liberties and erode privacy, said Ashdown. He said that he was frightened by the erosion of our liberties and while accepting that there was a need to keep the nation safe it was the habit of politicians who are lazy about the preservation of our liberties or dont mind seeing them destroyed, to play an old game. They tell frightened citizens: If you give me some of your liberties, I will make you safer.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 20:02:20 +0000
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