Never Miss a Trick

Ah, Labour.  Just when I was warming up to you again after the Blair/Brown years, you show excellent timing.

Labour and the Conservatives could unite to push through the controversial communications bill despite Lib Dem objections, a former Tory leader says.

The bill, allowing the monitoring of all UK citizens' internet use, was dropped after a split in the coalition.

But Lord Howard said David Cameron had "to act in the national interest" following the Woolwich murder.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has said that "if he [the PM] wants a communications bill, we'll help him get it through".

Never let it be said that the Americans are the only ones to respond to a terrorist incident with a broad suppression of civil liberties.

The Communications Data Bill would have given police and security services access, without a warrant, to details of all online communication in the UK - such as the time, duration, originator and recipient, and the location of the device from which it was made.

But it's okay!  Only the guilty have anything to fear from the police.  There is, of course, no reason to want privacy apart from the desire to conceal your criminal actions.  If you're not willing to do something in public, it must be wrong.  And sarcasm will be a capital offence.