The police can be trusted ...

[David Hansen]

On 3 Jul 00, at 9:21, Pete Mitchell wrote:

> Part of the HO's defence of RIP seems to be that the police can be
> trusted never to misuse their powers for political reasons.

Yes. The following exchange took place on this list a month or two 
ago:

Home Office: "From listening to the comments on this list one gets 
the impression that the police and civil service act as agents of 
nasty regimes."

List member: "Isn't that just what happened recently when the 
Chinese visited?"

Home Office: Silence.

The Home Office also had no answer when their claim that the 
authorities know how to keep information secret was countered by 
the fact that witnesses to the Stephen Lawrence murder would not 
agree. Again the Home Office silence was deafening but revealing.

No wonder they have stopped talking. Their spin and bluster my 
work on party politicians, but they need real arguments if they want 
to be treated seriously by people who know what they are talking 
about.




 David Hansen | davidh@spidacom.co.uk  | PGP email preferred
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