Pre-empting the failure of the national ID scheme to deliver total surveillance soon enough, HMG is opening the other portals to its totalitarian hell.
When even former cheerleaders for centralised government by technology and datasharing get scared, you have to wonder can it be stopped after all? Michael Cross of The Guardian, now gets it, it seems:
Ministers are preparing to overturn a fundamental principle of data protection in government, the Guardian has learned. They will announce next month that public bodies can assume they are free to share citizens’ personal data with other arms of the state, so long as it is in the public interest.
The policy was agreed upon by a cabinet committee set up by the prime minister, and reverses the current default position – which requires public bodies to find a legal justification each time they want to share data about individuals.
This is straight reporting, there is none of the sneering at privacy advocates we are used to from Cross.
But extended government data-sharing is already happening. This, for example, was unwelcome news to me.
so long as it is in the public interest
Yeah, right, whatever. The “public interest” is an unbelievably maleable concept. It means whatever our lords and masters want it to.
Meanwhile, the West Mids has built Europe’s largest Hindu temple with partly public funds.
3 million quids worth of public funds.
Fair enough you might say. Well I don’t.
That and in my own native Manchester (well, I’m a Geordie, but I’ve lived here for several years) no government organisation is prepared to spend the cash to bring the last Vulcan bomber back up to flying condition. For shame.
I’ve seen a B-52 at an airshow, I’ve seen Tornados and F-16s scaring the wildlife. One of my earliset memories is of a pair of RAF Phantoms flying supersonic over Bambrough beach at very low level. I was awe-struck.
And I want to see XH 558 take to the skies again.
http://www.vulcan558club.com/
Keep the dream alive.
I have always believed that, in a democracy such as the UK, the rights of citizens (even subjects) to open government should always exceed the rights of government to general access to the private information of citizens.
Accordingly, please joint me in the following proclamation:
Best regards
A flying Vulcan is a sight and sound to remember, no mistake. The ground shakes when one of those beasts makes a low level pass. Awesome.
Nick M,
Indeed. It just so happens that the Identity Cards Act 2006 contains a definition of the public interest that may come in handy, viz –
My emphasis: note how necessity is imported by the fact of something being done for a government purpose.
I don’t think there is complete cause for despair with the above definition. One could certainly argue that the interests of national security require the public hanging of the Prime Minister, as he is clearly a Quisling and a traitor.
The section about ‘the prevention or detection of crime’ clearly applies to the gunning down of innocent Brazilians on the underground (although they could perhaps claim this was exempt under the immigration control or the prevention of unauthorised working (WHAT THE FUCK: UNAUTHORISED WORKING? What about UNAUTHORISED SPONGING?)).
Just because it’s done by the state, that doesn’t make it legal.
I’ll note this is in the same week that New Hampshire Governor John Lynch (D) decided against (Link)accepting $3 million in pilot program funding from the federal government for REAL ID compliance.
Lynch noted that Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) told him at the recent governors conference that every governor in the US is against REAL ID.
Not related to the above, but another example of the abuses of power by this government –
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/hicks-cast-out-after-day-as-british-citizen/2006/08/26/1156012790201.html
I carry no brief for this bloke, he is apparently a hatemongering anti-Semitic advocate of murder, but this government possess not a shred of honest principle.
Nick M – a bit before my time, but the Vulcan is unquestionably a most startlingly beautiful aeroplane. I hope some wealthy private enthusiast takes up its cause.
When I got up this fine Sunday morning the sun was shining, and toast and mug of tea were soon prepared. I sat down to enjoy a read of The Sunday Times.
The main headline simply said “10m want to quit overtaxed UK”. Well, nothing much new there.
Then the second, smaller headline caught my eye: “Call my life coach not a spin doctor”. Pretty innocuous stuff I first thought, but then I read on, and my stomach churned like it did the first time I flew in an airplane.
It turns out that many government ministers and their staff have been assigned personal coaches whom they are expected to treat as “critical friends”, using role-playing sessions to help them in running the country. Professional actors have also been brought in “to help bring role-playing to life”. The coaches are supplied by companies such as ED Consultants and Praesta, and the latter company says it has used concert pianists and cooking classes to “stimulate thinking”.
The cost of these games is a mere £250 per hour per coach — and it’s all done at the taxpayers’ expense. Now I’m totally disgusted with this government. Is there no limit to their sleeze?