The reaction of some Labour people to the formation of the Lib Dem/Conservative Coalition Government last May was sheer disbelief. For some reason they seemed to believe that liberals were just Labour supporters who’d mistakenly joined the wrong party. The notion that maybe we had a whole different set of values seemed alien to them.
In my experience, however, you can easily divide liberals from Labourites, and you do that on the issue of civil liberties. My Labour friends just don’t get civil liberties. They find it hard to understand that I don’t believe that the State always knows best and that I don’t want to give the State ever more power over my life.
I was reminded of this when I read about criticism of Lib Dem transport minister Norman Baker MP, who refuses to wear a helmet when he rides a bicycle.
More local evidence is provided by some stats I just got hold of from Plymouth City Council. These stats were all about how the council had used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000; this is the Act that gave any Tom, Dick or Harriet at councils up and down the country the right and power to snoop on residents.
What’s interesting is that use of RIPA powers by the council skyrocketed in 2004, which was the first full year in which Labour controlled the council after the passage of the Act. In that year – 2004 – the council used “directed surveillance” – things like placing listening devices or taking photographs in public places – 37 times. They also used “covert human intelligence sources” once; this is where people act in an undercover way to gather information.
The only other full year in which Labour has controlled the council since the passage of the Act was 2005, and this was the year in which use of RIPA powers by Plymouth City Council peaked. Communications data was obtained four times (eg getting addresses for telephone numbers), directed surveillance was used 45 times, and covert human intelligence sources were used five times.
Since Labour lost control of Plymouth in 2006, RIPA has been used less and less. In 2009, it was used just eight times; in 2010, just seven times; and it hasn’t been used at all yet in 2011. Thankfully, the Coalition now plans to tighten the rules of how and when RIPA can be used.
One of the most important things that defines my political outlook and helps me to know that I am a good liberal is my belief in civil liberties, and my belief in the need to place limits on the extent to which the State, even a humble city council, can place listening devices in public places or send in undercover officers to snoop on local residents. It’s a lesson that Labour still needs to learn.
(image: Panopticon 
Some rights reserved by andygates)
Whilst I agree that the massive growth of CCTV systems across the country has never been subject to appropriate debate, don’t lose sight of the fact that there has never been public outcry about this either.
I recognise that RIPA goes beyond CCTV, but a few points above may need putting into more balanced context. “Directed Surveillance” requires appropriate authorisation where you have an identifiable “target”…this could be a prolific shoplifter in the CCTV area or a well-documented Anti-Social Behaviour perpetrator against whom you are trying to gather evidence….do we need to be as dramatic as quoting “listening devices or photographs in public places”?
In addition “Covert Human Intelligence Sources” are generally just people informing about the behaviour of others…RIPA requires those that inform regularly to be registered- some would view this as a bureaucratic compared to the way “intelligence” used to be handled, but others would view it as protective.
So, whilst there are many of us who would wish to challenge inappropriate use of powers no matter what the hue of the local council, let’s not get too carried away please.
Indeed, maybe the fact that “powers” have not been used in 2011 is down to the reduced staffing available to the local authority in the face of swingeing cuts and coalition scaremongering over interest payments on a “structural deficit” ….now there’s a debate that would be worth having!
Paul – thanks for taking the time to comment on my piece. Specifically, with regard to what you wrote:
I didn’t mention CCTV as I’m not sure they’re covered by RIPA (I might be wrong). Whilst I have a personal, very strong dislike of CCTV-equipped cars, like the one operated by Plymouth City Council, I don’t have an “in principle” problem with CCTV. I’d just like to see it regulated better and the operators of all CCTV cameras to be registered, vetted and taxed.
Again, I don’t have an “in principle” problem with the use of the sort of powers that are in RIPA. I just believe that they should be used sparingly and should have to be authorised properly, ideally, in my opinion, by a senior police officer or a magistrate, not by a council official. I do not believe council officials should be able to authorise snooping. And, sorry if you don’t like the language, but directed surveillance can include hidden microphones as well as secret photographing or videoing of people in public places.
On your last point, we are borrowing £400,000,000 every day – that’s enough to pay for dozens of primary schools (http://fullfact.org/factchecks/nick_clegg_cost_of_primary_schools_rochdale-2650). Fact.
I’m not sure we see eye-to-eye, but thanks nonetheless for taking the time to read the post and comment on it. All the best.
I believe there is more that we agree on than disagree…However, I do take issue with the scaremongering regarding the “structural deficit” justifying the destruction of our public services.
I am not denying a need to tackle the issue, just the dismay felt by many of us that Tory policies are being supported by a party I believed had far more of a social conscience.
Interest payment on this deficit as a percentage of GDP was higher under several of Major’s years and quite a few in the eighties….don’t recall this extent of scaremongering during that period….and all to hand tax cuts back prior to the next election. I happen to believe that this level of unquestioning support for a Tory-led ideological assault upon our public services is shameful…if I’m wrong and this is not felt widely, then I am sure the Lib Dem Party will perform really well at the council polls in three weeks. Good Luck
Isn’t it also scaremongering to speak about the ‘destruction of our public services’? It’s quite a misrepresentation of what the Government is doing.
Thanks for the comment Nick.
Paul – I just don’t agree with you that the Coalition is destroying public services. I am coming around to seeing that it is just a fact that when Conservatives are in power the Left, foaming at the mouth, will shout at the top of their voices about how the Tories want to destroy the public sector. It doesn’t matter what is being proposed, the line to take is that the Tories want to smash everything.
I do think that many on the Left just enjoy being in opposition.
I am proud that thanks to the Lib Dems being in power, alongside the Tories, we’re abolishing income tax for the poorest working people, re-linking pensions to earnings, and refocusing schools spending (which is protected, btw) on those most in need. At the same time we’re rolling back Labour’s laws of snooping and intrusion.
This website carries a message from the Chief Constable of our two counties pointing out the extent of the “cuts” and the detrimental effect this is having on that particular service. There are many others in many other arms of the public sector feeling the same and worse…or is it that you presume that all around are just “scaremongering” because they happen to disagree with your assertions?
I trusted Lib Dems at the last election and voted for them…I doubt if I am the only person feeling somewhat let down and, yes,”betrayed”.
Our public services are not to blame for a financial crisis that spread its tentacles across the globe. They also cost less as a percentage of GDP than has been the case over much of the last three decades. I am disturbed that you genuinely believe there is not a destruction of public services occurring at the moment as a result of front loaded cuts and ideological actions on the part of this Tory dominated grouping.
The Guardian has been carrying detailed examples of the problems emerging within the NHS…and that service was being “protected” from cuts!!! The cost cutting going on and the erosion of the service on offer is somewhat apparent to me and many people I come into contact with.
If I am so wrong, then, as I said above, when the Lib Dems emerge from the upcoming local elections having done well, I shall concede that I stand alone in my feelings on this. However, it just may be the case that there are others who do see what is going on as both shambolic, ill thought out and unlikely to deliver anything but lesser services for the general population.
I am glad you are proud of your coalition…it just appears to this “layman” that there are very many within your party who are not quite so comfortable and are beginning to make it known. Still, as aforementioned, whilst putting my beliefs regarding public service destruction down, methinks you are ignoring a building resentment that you seem so comfortable with the whole position.
Let’s see what the electorate say in a few weeks and I look forward to your letter to Devon and Cornwall’s Chief Constable telling him to stop “scaremongering”…what would he know anyway?