Today's speech by UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on political reform

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Brian Randell <Brian.Randell () ncl ac uk>
> Date: May 19, 2010 1:02:53 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Today's speech by UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on  
> political reform

> Hi Dave:
>
> Here, for IP if you wish, is the BBC's coverage of a speech on  
> political reform given today by our new Deputy Prime Minister.
>
> > Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has promised the "biggest shake-up  
> > of our democracy" in 178 years as he sets out plans for political  
> > reform.
> >
> > The Tory-Lib Dem coalition is proposing fixed-term parliaments, an  
> > elected House of Lords and a referendum on changing the voting  
> > system.
> >
> > Mr Clegg said the government was "not insecure about relinquishing  
> > control".
> >
> > The Lib Dem leader also called on the public to nominate laws to be  
> > repealed, as part of a "power revolution".
> >
> > Mr Clegg, who is overseeing the government's political reform  
> > plans, said he wanted to "transform our politics so the state has  
> > far less control over you, and you have far more control over the  
> > state".
> . . .
>
> Full story at:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8690882.stm
>
>
> And, of particular interest I would suggest to IP, from the full  
> text of the speech at:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8691753.stm
>
> > This government will end the culture of spying on its citizens.
> >
> > It is outrageous that decent, law-abiding people are regularly  
> > treated as if they have something to hide.
> >
> > It has to stop.
> >
> > So there will be no ID card scheme.
> >
> > No national identity register, a halt to second generation  
> > biometric passports.
> >
> > We won't hold your internet and email records when there is just no  
> > reason to do so.
> >
> > CCTV will be properly regulated, as will the DNA database, with  
> > restrictions on the storage of innocent people's DNA.
> >
> > Britain must not be a country where our children grow up so used to  
> > their liberty being infringed that they accept it without question.
> >
> > There will be no ContactPoint children's database.
> >
> > Schools will not take children's fingerprints without even asking  
> > their parent's consent.
> >
> > This will be a government that is proud when British citizens stand  
> > up against illegitimate advances of the state.
>
> Cheers
>
> Brian Randell
> --
> School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon  
> Tyne,
> NE1 7RU, UK
> EMAIL = Brian.Randell () ncl ac uk   PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
> FAX = +44 191 222 8232  URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell



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