BBC News Online: 'Snoop' plans put on hold

[Ken Brown]

Owen Lewis wrote:

[...]

> Local authorities are not entirely known for their entire honesty and the
> thought of such powerful tool being placed in the hands of some of our
> authorities is simply frightful. Please sit down now, Mr Mallon). Just
> contemplating the thought is almost enough to have me climb into Plod's lap,
> sucking my security blanket. Anyone remember Liverpool Council under Derek
> Hatton and Militant Tendency? I really don't fancy quangos being given such
> toys either.

Actually they were more or less honest, they just wanted to use the
local council to overthrow capitalism. They failed to do it, but they
didn't /lie/ about it. Many of the worst cases of council corruption in
the London boroughs happened just after either "New" Labour or the Audit
Commission had purged honest but incompetent lefties, leaving the field
to placemen and careerists.