Do Labour care about individual freedom any more?

The news earlier in the week that this most illiberal Labour government's current Home Secretary, the latest in a long line of authoritarian Labour Home Secretaries, was planning to grant police powers to some council staff and private security guards allowing them to hand out on-the-spot fines and demand personal information, set me thinking. Was this just another sign that our Labour government just doesn't care about civil liberties any more but wants to "look tough", I wondered. Was it worth blogging about yet another move to the type of surveillance society that the Communist East German regime implemented? Then I read today that they wanted to go further, our Labour rulers have encouraged local councils to recruit residents to report anyone who drops litter, fails to recycle adequately etc.

The government will argue that these two innovations will make the streets safer, of course that is complete rubbish. The areas that will implement this system are the middle class areas where one busybody neighbour will delight in denouncing their neighbour for putting out three bin bags rather than the maximum two allowed, just because the neighbours' park their car in front of the wrong house. I predict any number of neighbour disputes escalating as neighbours take the opportunity to settle scores by reporting ever more minor infractions of the "law".

So whilst the middle classes will inform on each other, be fined and pay the fines; the muggers, the burglars and the other "proles" will continue untroubled by the "authorities". Does this remind anyone of a 1948 novel?


In an associated story; I have blogged before about the way that governments are trying to use children to police the habits of their parents, one recent example that I have not commented upon is that of NPower's Climate Cops which really needs a proper fisking but I just don't have the energy. It's a lovely piece of propaganda which for the sake of "climate change" encourages children to "police" the behaviour of their parents re leaving televisions on standby and so on. As the teachers notes section explains:

"the programme aims to engage and excite children and show them how they can be heroes in tackling the causes of climate change, both in their homes and in their schools.

The children’s section of this site introduces them to the important concept of saving energy through three exciting, interactive games that are designed to teach: 1. What is energy waste? 2. How can you prevent energy waste? 3. Why are we saving energy?

In addition, there are lots of fun downloads that the children can access to engage them further in the Climate Cop programme and which can also be used as part of homework exercises."

Children are given diaries in which they can note domestic infractions, such as leaving a mobile phone charging for too long or a Nintendo game left flickering in the dark, as well as Post-It notes, which can be left at the crime scene as a warning to the offenders. The Climate Cops website encourages children to monitor and report on their domestic energy crimes to their classrooms.

I think it's called brainwashing, but it is also another way that this Labour government is taking control of the nation's children and using them to implement the policies of the government rather than follow the authority of their parents.

Am I alone in finding this reminiscent of an organisation for children set-up by a former "socialist" government, now what was it called? Oh yes, the Hitler Youth. A spy in every home, whose first loyalty was to the State and not to the family.


Taking the two of these examples together, is it hyperbole to foresee that this Labour government is implementing a system where children are used to enforce the introduction of government policies in the home, where "difficult" parents may not be ready to swallow the government's own propaganda, and a network of neighbourhood informers are used to keep the troublesome unbelievers in check? Is it really that far fetched to imagine a future Labour Home Secretary announcing the purging of reactionaries, the rounding up of undesirable elements and the introduction of re-education camps?