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Cops Seize Tory MP: Uproar in Police-State Britain
Deepak Tripathi
Counterpunch
Friday, November 28, 2008
The arrest and interrogation of Damian Green, one of Britain’s leading opposition politicians, by the counter-terrorism police (November 27, 2009) on ‘suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office’ is an extraordinary event. Counter-terrorism officers searched his homes and offices in London and his constituency. He was questioned for nine hours and released on bail without charge, but must return next February for further questioning. The police action happened when the world’s attention was focused on the terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.
The Conservative Party, the main opposition in the British Parliament that has been leading in opinion polls this year, is furious at the treatment of one of its star performers. In all probability, Green, a former journalist on the London Times, would be a minister if the Conservatives won the next general election. He had raised some uncomfortable questions for the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and his government in the past year. In November 2007, he disclosed that the Home Secretary knew as many as five thousand illegal immigrants had been granted licenses to work by the Security Industry Authority, but decided not to make the information public.
In February this year, Damian Green revealed that an illegal immigrant had been employed as a cleaner in the British Parliament and raised questions over its security implications. Then there was a letter from the Home Secretary warning that a recession could lead to an increase in crime. He confronted the British government at a time when public concern over crime was rising. The Home Office later admitted that serious crime had been underestimated in official statistics. Green further made public the existence of a list of Labour MPs who could rebel against their own government’s draft legislation to extend the period of detention without charge to 42 days.
(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)
As I have already mentioned, the arrest and interrogation of Damian Green came on ‘suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office’. This seems to be related to information passed on to him by a whistleblower in the Home Office – an official who saw government wrongdoing and brought it to the attention of a leading opposition MP. The episode has fuelled worries over the loosely-worded anti-terror laws pushed after 9/11 by Tony Blair, the previous prime minister, and their misuse to suppress information likely to embarrass the government.
A number of senior political figures were informed about the Conservative shadow minister’s arrest shortly before it happened. Among them were the Conservative leader David Cameron, the London Mayor who is responsible for running the Metropolitan Police Force and the Speaker of the British House of Commons. The Home Secretary and others in the government have flatly denied prior knowledge of the arrest. However, an ex-Home Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, says he cannot believe that ministers did not know in advance what was about to happen.
Reports and comments on how a prominent politician has been treated under anti-terror laws are all over the British press today. The London Mayor expressed his ‘trenchant concerns’ when told of the impending arrest. David Davies, former shadow home secretary who resigned in protest at the threat to civil liberties earlier this year, has called the situation ‘reminiscent to Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe’. The Conservative leader David Cameron has described the action as ‘Stalinisque’ and said the ministers have some serious questions to answer. “If the police wanted answers from him, why did they not pick up the phone,” Cameron asked.
The timing and possible motives of what has happened are worth considering?
Politicians, especially those in power, are very good at doing questionable things when there are bigger events taking place elsewhere. Damian Green’s arrest and interrogation happened when the British public was focused on the terrorist attacks in India – attacks in which there had been hundreds of casualties, including British. There were already numerous examples where anti-terror laws had been used against people who had nothing to do with terror. Journalists and researchers are under unprecedented pressure. Academics at British universities have all but surrendered to the shifting and arbitrary interpretations by the authorities of the meaning and causes of terrorism, to save their careers and to ensure funding for their projects. The picture is bleak. It shows that when governments are able to seize too much power, they abuse it to the detriment of citizens.
Was the arrest of one of Britain’s leading politicians, possibly a future minister, aimed at sending a message to lesser people in the country to close their eyes, ears and mouths? The good news is that the criticism of the police action has been swift, widespread and strong and has only begun. As a front-bench member of the British Parliament, Damian Green has ‘parliamentary privileges’ which would be hard to challenge. His actions are in the public interest. For this reason alone, the government would be foolish to prosecute him in court. Green says it is his job as an opposition politician to hold the government to account and he has every intention of continuing to do so.
Deepak Tripathi, former BBC journalist, is a researcher and an author. His works can be found on http://deepaktripathi.wordpress.com and he can be reached at: DandATripathi@gmail.com.
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22 Responses to “Cops Seize Tory MP: Uproar in Police-State Britain”
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November 28th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Alexander Cockburn from Counterpunch should apologize for calling 9/11 Truthers “nutcases”.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
The year should be 2008 not 2009. So right We Demand you are!
November 28th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Kind of makes you wonder whats going on in the good ol’ US of A while everyone is focused on Mumbai…
November 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
F*CK THE BRITISH
November 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Has everybody forgotten who we fought to get away from the influence of!!!! They are not a constitutional republic. they are subjects still. The crown is still as much a tyranny as ever.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Britain is now officially a police state. As well as the Conservative MP being arrested, 13 members of the pro-democracy British National Party were arrested in Liverpool just days before, for distributing material that was perfectly legal. One of them was tortured at the police station for refusing to give a DNA sample.
Britain is no longer a democracy.
November 28th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
THIS LOOKS LIKE A TEST BALLOON TO ME!
FROM THE BEWILDERNESS–THANKS FOR COMING!
JAMES MANSFIELD
November 28th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
wow Britan is getting bad.Mind you today I had an encounter with Toronto Police……2 police officers came to my neighbours house.Because of a domestic , my neighbour phoned me saying 2 police officer came because her husband wanted to throw her children and her out of the house.
My neighbour got 2 dogs, one small little one and a Husky, the little dog was friendly and jumped up at one of the police officers, and told my neighbour keep the dog away from me or I will shot both dogs right here right now in the house……and her childen heard that and got very upset,,,,She said to the officers you have no right to say such thing, the police officer just laughed said he had every right that he is the Law……..She said that is not what Alex Jones says……….But the Police did not know who Alex Jones is…….
November 28th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I live in the UK Manchester and I have just had a letter from the police telling me I cant complain about any police officer unless I put it in writing. they say if i wish to make any complaint they will not take it from me unless I send it in by way of a letter to the police commander. Here in the UK we do indeed live in a police state.
November 28th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Gordon Brown the most danger to Britians future would have all oponents shot if he could get away with it.
The spin machine must be maintained at all COST.
Everytime he opens his mouth I think he will say New world Order…. sorry it is now New Global Order like it makes a difference.
A Globalist just like Blair. He will most likely join Blair $5 million per annum P/T @ J P MORGAN. for his fine financial work.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Thanks for that link regarding the BNP in Liverpool. It made it to the police discussion forum, but never made it to the mainstream news.
http://www.policeoracle.com/ne.....17835.html
November 28th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Jordan maxwell
Eustace Mullins
Micheal Ruppert
Bill Cooper
the Kay Griggs interview holy shit
Graham Hancock
David Icke- dismissing his work is a mistake
John Pilger
even Alex with his hilarious self
study mind control- its the subconscious
you will begin to see signs of the washington and holly wood connection.
NONE of the people we think are in power have any idea what they are actually saying and/or doing.
What are the origins of LSD and Exctacy?- the latter being widely used by the youth today
How does all of the cocaine get into this country? or around the world for that matter…. Do they grow cocoa plants in africa? india?
what is this bloodline that runs through heads of state, including Haile Selassie?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari
November 28th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Brown, Blair and all of their disgusting cronnies should be arrested for treason = if there is any justice then they will be
November 29th, 2008 at 4:33 am
I’ve been harping for years about how Britain is finished.
The rule of law is lost. Respect is lost. Paranoia runs deep.
Now, sadly, the government is outwardly fighting.
Nothing good will come of this
November 29th, 2008 at 5:46 am
“The Light has gone down in the West, and we have gone into deep shadow.
How has it come to this”
November 29th, 2008 at 6:08 am
what a god awful country we now reside in, a rudderless cesspool full of greedy, lying, treasonous politicans,who hate the english people and their values.we need a military coup to rid us of this scum.its enough to drive you to drink….er im off to the pub while they are still there.
November 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Having been to England a few times I can say I am Very happy not to live there. There is virtually no free speech protection and in ‘91 when i was there I got a very creepy feeling from the people that this was a very totalitarian country and dissenters were treated very poorly.
The schools are cruel here in North america but the Engish school sytem is cruel to the point of Darkness. The hurtfullness is showing its true face on the streets of London and elsewhere right now with stange spates of fenzied knife violence among the young people. I am thankful I don’t live there, things suck here in Canada but they are horrible there.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Sad to say, but Britians culture has now been diluted to the worshiping of Beer. Violence. Celebrity Lifestyle, Debt, Vanity Poseing and owning a 4×4 with a seat higher than the next mans.
Thatcher got the ball rolling and it just has not stopped.
A bloody deep depression is just what the doctor should order to bring the deluded back down to earth and worship true values again.
All I have heard over the TV in the last ten years is LIFESTYLE. LIFESTYLE. BLOODY LIFESTYLE that now, nobody can afford.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Writing from Stalingland, We have to be extremely careful with what we write, watch, buy, share and publicly understand. And we have to be very careful in regards to where our money trail leads to or comes from. This is a police state make no mistakes about it, and it will only get worse if transparency is denied and the Big Brother network continues to grow.
Jacqui Smiths ID card scheme will not go away even if the Goverment is voted out. The mental illness is leaving a profound mark upon everyones rationality I just hope some people out there havent completely disarmed themselves and begun grovelling at the altar of ruinous power Westminster.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Which one is the most dangerous? The terrorists or the out of control government. Too bad you people are disarmed maybe you could do something about it.
November 30th, 2008 at 7:19 am
20 Mark Says:
November 30th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Which one is the most dangerous? The terrorists or the out of control government. Too bad you people are disarmed maybe you could do something about it.
God gave us FIRE!!! More powerful than a bullet Mark.
All it needs is the spark.
RIOT is in PATRIOT we will and can defend our country even if its from an enemy within.
With Gods will.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
When will the wider general public get off their arses and start fighting for their rights!?!?…. I’ve been a dissident since my early 20’s now.being involved in controversial direct action protests and the like….but it feels like i’m part of a dying breed….why are the english so apathetic?….don’t just sit their in your chairs complaining and watching reality tv…!!! It’s time to organise before its too late or we will have no freedom or even countryside left…..
They had it right in 1390…..
Its time for another “peasants revolt!”….
I’ll be at the front with my pitchfork. See ya there….