This is my last word on the Terrorism Bill debate, I promise, until the Bill returns to the House of Lords, which should be sometime in early March: the 6th has, I understand, been mooted. I watched the latter stages of the debate on clause 3 of the […]

In reporting that Lib Dem and Tory Peers may fight back against yesterday’s reinstatement of glorification in the Terrorism Bill, the Beeb include this gem of a statement from the Met. Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorism chief Peter Clarke on Thursday said it was “hopelessly optimistic” to think the threat […]

In the interests of separating the spin for the reality of yesterday’s proceedings in the House of Commons on the Terrorism Bill, this is what yesterday left us with in terms of ‘glorification’: There is NO offence ‘glorifying terrorism’ in the Bill. What Parliament reinstated were amendments which […]

I’ve always been the kind of person who’s mood is is very clearly reflected in my choice of reading and listening material – if it’s Kate bush on the stereo and I’m parked in the corner of the room reading Mervyn Peake then you know you’re on pretty […]

Just watching the debate on clause 3 of the Terrorism Bill which relates to websites, which has clarified for me how this will work – as opposed to how the government claims it will work… …well it’s now as clear as it ever will be given that Hazel […]

Just spotted this at the end of the same Guardian article on the Terrorism Bill in which I noted errors including provision of a link to the wrong Bill entirely. The human rights lawyer Geoffrey Bindman said existing legislation already outlaws the activities which ministers say the glorification […]

It appears that an Aussie TV station has got hold of another run of Abu Ghraib photos, reputed to be the one’s that US government is trying to avoid releasing to the ALCU. The article is here, you’ll need to scroll down for the new images, the first […]

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny James Madison – 4th President of the United States of America and signatory […]

Just a thought I’d like to pass on to everyone who’s crowing about the decision to ban smoking in public places. Even though this will shortly be banned, there will still be people who have never smoked in their lives who will develop lung cancer and die – […]

Why is it, I wonder, that whenever I see a senior member of my own party saying things like this: McCartney warns of party division Labour MPs should vote for the education reforms or risk division, chairman Ian McCartney has warned. He said the Labour by-election loss last […]