Customs State? Long live the police state...

DominicStar

DominicStar

DominicStar

Associate
Joined
21 Oct 2008
Posts
1,340
Location
Jarrow
Bit over the top I know, but it seems that buried away in yet another Immigration Bill, there is a clause to give the Home Secretary powers to appoint and directly control customs officers. It's in it's second reading in the Lords, and once again there's been no comment at all as far as I can see from the Conservatives (who as oppoistion are paid big wages by the taxpater to challenge the government where need be), indicating this is something they might not care to revoke.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/12/police-law

Customs are supposed to be completely independant which is why they have so much power. But now what we potentially get is the prospect of people with exceptional powers way beyond anything on offer to the police, but directly under control of government.
 
Unfortunately people are too financially minded to care about what happens it seems.

I really would like to see a timetable of loss of civil liberties going back to the start of the 80's if such a thing exists. The last couple of years have been incredible though.

Wonder if they are gonna comply with the European court ruling and destroy the DNA of people who have never been charged.
 
I think what unsettles me about it is everything else that has come before it and what will come after. It would be one thing on its own if we rolled back a few years. But recently we have gotten ridiculously long detention periods on terrorism suspects, a plan to gather information on where we go outside the country, ID cards on the horizon. It doesn't sit well with other intentions either like reducing the right to trial by jury.
 
DominicStar said:
I think what unsettles me about it is everything else that has come before it and what will come after. It would be one thing on its own if we rolled back a few years. But recently we have gotten ridiculously long detention periods on terrorism suspects, a plan to gather information on where we go outside the country, ID cards on the horizon. It doesn't sit well with other intentions either like reducing the right to trial by jury.
Click to expand...
And yet every new announcement is met with the same old "I have nothing to hide" crap.
 
anticonscience said:
So they are like super police?
Click to expand...

They already are as far as their jurisdiction is. They don't need warrants, can confiscate on a whim etc. But right now there aren't any who run around doing what the Home Secretary does. I think we are still a long way from the point where the Home Secretary is gonna assemble and order a customs team to arrest or inhibit political opponents but the power to do so will be there.
 
It is a worry. Customs officers have much more power than the police eg with the Queens warrant cards they can enter a property without a search warrant and are allowed to commodeer vehicles belonging to the public.

Some people might say they have too much power since they work for the Crown and not a democratic elected government so essentially they are currently the "SS" of a dictator anyway.

However, I personally so not agree with this power been passed over to politicians.
 
Good spot!

I am often ridiculed for professing ideas of this country and the world degenerating (or being manipulated more accurately) into a police state. The evidence is before us in measures like this and more and more people are waking up to it. Still think I am a tinfoil hat wearing nut?

It is the sausage slice principle. Steal a sausage whole and it is noticed but steal it slice by slice and you don't miss it until there is little left. And don't, for one moment, think that Cameron and that shower will do anything about it because here's a newsflash, they are in on it as well. :mad:
 
Heil Brown.


Does this country even have any rights anymore?

Freedom of expression - gone
Right to a fair trial - gone
right to protest - gone
right to privacy - gone
freedom from discrimination - gone
ban on torture - gone
no detention without trial - gone
 
Last edited:
Yet whenever I, and others on here, have mentioned that this Labour government is selling our civil rights down the river and creating a 'Big Brother' style police state I was lambasted.
 
Azagoth said:
Yet whenever I, and others on here, have mentioned that this Labour government is selling our civil rights down the river and creating a 'Big Brother' style police state I was lambasted.
Click to expand...

Everyone always brands it as some sort of conspiracy theory despite the fact that the legislation can be seen clear as day on the opsi website, and it's happened so many times before in history.
 
Azagoth said:
Yet whenever I, and others on here, have mentioned that this Labour government is selling our civil rights down the river and creating a 'Big Brother' style police state I was lambasted.
Click to expand...

I do agree, and was also lambasted on here on several occasions for expressing similar thoughts.

Sad thing about it is it's not made up Daily Mail rubbish, but rather the truth.
 
Customs officers are Crown servants, as are the police, and they should not ever be directed by the Home Secretary.

It seems if Jaqui can't control the police, she is opting for the next best thing.

She is the worst Home Secretary I can remember and I would dearly love to see her turfed out at the next election.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom