International Law

The "wash up" makes a mockery of Parliamentary democracy

To add insult to the Parliamentary scandals over expenses, cash for lobbyists, cash for honours, cushy private sector jobs for ex-Ministers in areas where they had / have influence over Government contracts etc. the General Election itself, has, yet again, resulted in another insult to the electorate, through the wretched and totally undemocratic "wash up" process.

Instead of simply killing off all the Bills which have run out of parliamentary time - anything important could easily be re-introduced after the election, we have had another "wash up" process inflicted on our democracy.

This means that here has been no debate or adequate detailed scrutiny of the awful Digital Economy Bill, the repressive and probably still illegal under European Court of Human Rights law, DNA retention of innocent people's DNA tissue samples and DNA "fingerprint" profile database entries in the (yet another unnecessary) Crime and Security Bill.

It is sickening that the passionate, well researched, detailed arguments of people like the Open Rights Group ("What we do next") and the NO2ID Campaign ("Washed-up principles on DNA"), who really care about our democracy and freedoms, who have taken the trouble to actually democratically lobby their Members of Parliament over these issues, have simply been ignored, and any debate in Parliament has been stifled.

In addition, the promised repeal of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 sections 132 to 138 Designated Area around Parliament Square has been magically "lost in the wash up".

See No repeal of SOCPA Designated Area around Parliament as promised - lost in the "wash up" of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

We do not live in a democracy any more.

The individual civil servants and politicians who have allowed the notorious SOCPA 2005 ss 132 - 138 to continue as the law, should be publicly Named and Shamed.

Ideally such Naming and Shaming should be before the General Election on May 6th.

Full post as published by Spy Blog on April 09, 2010 (boomark / email).