I see that Nanny has got something of the wind up her skirt over the public reaction against our "respected" local councils using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to spy on people wrt dog mess, dustbin "crimes" and other local trivia.
Home Orifice minister Vernon Coaker told a House of Lords committee that Nanny was considering how to limit the use of RIPA, which was set up to tackle terrorism.
Coaker said:
"We don't want to see legislation available for local authorities to use with respect to serious crime being used... for example, in respect of dog-fouling.
That's something we need to address. We have to stop some of these things happening that do undermine support."
Quite!
The trouble is anyone with half a brain could have told Nanny that Blunkett (who allowed councils to use RIPA from 2003) was opening a can of worms, and that RIPA would be abused in this way.
The more powers you give the state and its organs, the more tempted they are to use them.
Labour peer Lord Peston agreed:
"If these powers are being used for local authorities to search my dustbins, isn't the danger that you lose public support... in the area for which you most need public support, namely the anti-terrorism and anti-crime thing?"
OK, so that's all very comforting, the question is will Nanny stop local councils from using RIPA?
Don't hold your breath, this is just a comforting PR exercise designed to lull us to sleep.
Visit The Orifice of Government Commerce and buy a collector's item.
Visit The Joy of Lard and indulge your lard fantasies.
Show your contempt for Nanny by buying a T shirt or thong from Nanny's Store.
www.nannyknowsbest.com is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Celebrate the joy of living with champagne. Click and drink!
Why not really indulge yourself, by doing all the things that Nanny really hates? Click on the relevant link to indulge yourselves; Food, Bonking, Toys, Gifts and Flowers, Groceries
I can't see Nanny stopping the use of RIPA for petty things.....Nanny loves information as it is power, Nanny loves our money, so she will use these powers to help bring in cash from fines....No, Nanny loves these powers too much to give them up.....Trouble is, I can't see a new government out lawing the use of such powers for minor offences either. I think we are stuck with them and I expect their use to increase as we slide further and further into the giant socialist superstate that is the EUSSR.
ReplyDeleteSod it. I saw your headline over at Obo's and thought Ripa Huq had suffered an accident. That meant a good chance of pictures of Konnie.
ReplyDeleteI really wish I had just made that up.
Bloody well sod it.