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The limits of control on terror laws
October 11, 2005 12:00 AM
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in The Guardian
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in The Guardian
Hazel Blears' letter (October 7) about the application of section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 was no more reassuring than the earlier one from Labour party chairman Ian McCartney (October 3). Blears says these powers can only be used "in support of structured counter-terrorism operations", that there are "strict controls" on their use, and that justification is based on "an assessment of the terrorist threat".
And since she confirms that section 44 was indeed invoked against Wolfgang, I find quite disturbing that McCartney, in his letter, claimed Wolfgang was "merely informed by police he could not re-enter the conference complex without a pass and must wait until a Labour party official came to see him".
Blears' claim that "the powers cannot be authorised for public order purposes" simply flies in the face of the evidence, given the way the act was used to obstruct protesters against, among other things, the London arms fair and the Iraq war. Indeed, it was used to stop and search almost 30,000 people in 2003-04. It is frightening that members of the present government don't even seem to recognise when illiberal and authoritarian behaviour is happening, let alone stop themselves encouraging, facilitating and committing it.
Sarah Ludford MEP
Lib Dem, London
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