Jacqui Smith wants to store details of everyone you’ve ever emailed and every website you’ve ever visited on a great big government database. This is an appalling idea. That aside, here is something interesting she said:
Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, announced that she was delaying the Bill in order to expand the extent of surveillance powers open to the security services, while consulting further on the best way to win public support for the plan.
Now, is it naive and old-fashioned to believe that the government is meant to implement the wishes of the public, not decide what it wants to do and then get advice on how best to persuade people that it’s a good idea? If there isn’t already public support for the idea — and I’m pretty sure there isn’t much support for spending twelve billion quid amassing data that will end up being left on a train — isn’t that a clue not to do it?
Now I’ve long known that governments do whatever is in the best interests of ministers and civil servants and then say whatever they have to say to get away with it. But this is a particularly blatant admission of that.
Thanks to Samizdata commenter Ian B for spotting that.