Charles Kennedy says Labour cannot be trusted with Britain's civil liberties

6.00.00pm GMT Tue 8th Feb 2005

Charles Kennedy says Labour cannot be trusted with Britain's civil liberties

Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats today set out their proposals for safeguarding British civil liberties in the face of an increasingly unaccountable and presidential-style Labour Government.

Launching the 5-point plan for rights and civil liberties, Liberal Democrat Leader, Charles Kennedy MP, said "Today I am setting out a programme of measures designed to protect the civil liberties of British people, because this Labour government is proving that it can't be trusted with them. The Home Secretary is attempting to extend the Belmarsh concept of house arrest to any British citizen at the sole discretion of a Government minister. And he wants to bring in expensive compulsory Identity Cards, which will do little to prevent terrorism, benefit fraud or crime. These authoritarian measures demonstrate that the balance this government is seeking to achieve has tipped too far. The Liberal Democrats have opposed both."

Mr. Kennedy further said "Under Labour, the process of Government has become more presidential, less transparent and less accountable to parliament and to the people. That has resulted in Labour rushing bad law through Parliament. Making sure Ministers, civil servants and the laws they produce are subject to robust democratic checks and balances is key to ensuring Britain's civil liberties."

Mr. Kennedy also talked of the Conservatives record by saying "The Liberal Democrats are the real opposition to Labour on these issues, while the Conservatives have been uncertain and frequently divided. The Tories supported the Government on Belmarsh, Michael Howard supports ID cards and they want to end our long-term commitment to providing a safe haven for genuine refugees. Labour is actually building on Conservative foundations. It was a Conservative Government that abandoned the right to silence, that first tied the hands of judges in sentencing and began the process of criminalising protest. The Liberal Democrat approach to protecting our civil liberties and tough liberalism on crime offers a change in direction."

Nicola Davies added "With eight weeks before the start of a General Election campaign the two old parties are in danger of setting aside the language of tolerance and liberty with ever increasing kneejerk policies. The Liberal Democrats believe the issues of security, Belmarsh and asylum can have sensible responses without undermining civil liberties. In this time of frenzied attacks on rights from Labour and the Tories, the Liberal Democrats are the only Party offering a voice of reason."

The Liberal Democrats believe that securing civil liberties requires continuous scrutiny. Britain has no written constitution. We have no binding Bill of Rights that protects our people from the actions of an irrational government. It is longstanding Liberal Democrat policy to enshrine the rights of the British people and the responsibilities of Government in a written constitution against which all new legislation should be measured. The constitution should also set out the powers of Parliament, Ministers, Judges, the Head of State and the national assemblies.

As part of this constitutional settlement, the Liberal Democrats would:

1. Abolish the Royal Prerogative. We need a proper framework for Ministers so that their actions are subject to full parliamentary scrutiny.

2. Ensure all Bills are accompanied by a Privacy Impact Assessment that measures proposals against the effects on the right of the individual to privacy.

3. Make it easier for the public to see the legal advice given to Ministers by amending the Freedom of Information Act.

4. End the politicisation of the Civil Service with a robust Civil Service Act.

5. Strengthen Parliament's ability to scrutinise legislation.