The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

The Big Brother state – by stealth – UK Politics, UK – The Independent.

It does not matter whether the majority approve schemes which undermine individual rights. Democracy is not a moral force, it is just a mechanism to determine who is in charge of the state, which has (or should have) limits. In Britain, the Labour government has a mandate from only about 20% of the the population (36% of those who voted). No sensible constitution would allow major extensions of state power on such a mandate. Most would require a qualified majority far greater than 50%.

The howls of pain from those of us with concerns about our freedom are regarded as eccentric. But we are not alone in our fears.

The "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear" slogan disgusts me. Mr Hammarberg is quite right to say that the onus of proof is not on us, but on those who seek to limit our liberty.