"ministers have turned UK into police state"

It's reminds me of the end of animal farm where the pigs start chanting "four legs good two legs better". We now have the unpleasant spectacle of a Labour Government, yes a LABOUR Government, using the excuse of "terrorism" to restrict the legitimate journalistic and political life of this country. And I used to think Thatcher's government was repressive...

This isn't just my personal view, it is the view of Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5 who "has accused the Government of exploiting people’s fear of terrorism to restrict civil rights." The final proof has come this week with Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act which effectively makes it illegal to photograph a police officer.



Photography has been a very useful tool of political protests, particularly where the police forces have sought to prevent that protest taking place. Now any press photographer taking photograph of excessive police force will simply be arrested under Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act and the evidence of police wrongdoing will be conveniently be deleted.

I have previously been a victim of the met police's harassment tactics against photographers in London, as has my MP.