Liberal Democrats respond to Queens Speech (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Liberal Democrats respond to Queens Speech

November 23, 2004 6:00 PM

The Liberal Democrats have responded to today's Queen'd Speech by the Government. Charles Kennedy said "Terrorism and security measures are being mixed in the public mind with issues of domestic disorder. It would be a very dangerous and "insidious" thing for those in power to encourage."

In his response to the Queen's Speech, Mr. Kennedy also pledged to vigorously oppose plans to introduce ID cards. That opposition would be on the basis of cost, their ineffectiveness in fighting terrorists and a lack of confidence in large-scale computerisation projects. Mr. Kennedy said "ID cards had not prevented the "depraved individuals" who had carried out the terrorist attacks in Madrid and New York, he said, adding the cards were no "fundamental stop" or "failsafe". I still believe and I still hope that we can thwart this proposed legislation,"

Earlier Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Mark Oaten said the government was "talking up" the fear of crime and terror in the hope of winning advantage at the ballot box. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Oaten said: "It does seem to me that, in the run-up to a general election, both the home secretary and prime minister are starting to talk up issues of fear and crime in this country. I acknowledge that there are difficulties there, but the warning shot to them should be not to play politics with terror."

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Chair Matthew Taylor MP also hit out at the ID card plans saying: "Crime and terror would be better addressed with 10,000 more police and a national border force, rather than wasting £3 billion on ID cards that didn't protect people in the US or Spain and which would curtail British rights and liberties." He added that Labour was focusing on fear, while the Liberal Democrats would concentrate on hope.