It is savagely ironic that dozens of Conservative MPs are spitting out their dummies over the ‘outrageous’ curtailment to freedom that results from being obliged to wear a mask and to produce a Covid passport to gain entry to various venues and amenities and yet they happily wave through legislation that includes some of the most draconian, ugly and democracy-destroying laws that this country has ever seen in modern times. Why aren’t the toys flying out of the pram over threats to the rights to peaceful protest, or access to judicial review or enforced voter ID or the powers to be granted to the Home Office to remove British citizenship without warning or even advising that it has been done.
Could it be that they assume White privilege means it will never apply to them? Could it be that they rejoice to see some of our population enshrined in law as second class citizens, in a permanent state of insecurity and fear? Could it be that they know that this brutal hardline treatment of ‘others’ is like fresh meat for their fans, baying for the punishment and exclusion of anyone who isn’t White/AngloSaxon? Whatever it is that makes them confident that this is not an horrendous assault on freedom and democracy whilst wearing a mask is, it’s nasty, cruel and horribly reminiscent of 1930s Germany. If you don’t believe me, go and read “The Gallery of Miracles and Madness” or “Berlin Diary 1934-1941“. It’s all there.
The Nationality and Borders Bill has passed its third reading, rushed through under cover of #partygate. It now heads to the Lords, who are our last hope once again.
Once a state has the powers to remove citizenship, it has the powers to remove your ability to function, to live, to exist. I’m not buying the “it will only apply to criminals” ‘defence’. Who’s to say what it will take to make any of us targets? Dissent isn’t exactly encouraged under this regime. And one needs only to look at the ongoing Windrush tragedy to know that this government does not honour its promises or treat people fairly at all. Don’t forget that the government is also committed to overhauling human rights, potentially scrapping the Human Rights Act.
Imagine: human rights watered down; Nationality and Borders Act in place; access to justice denied by de-funding the courts yet further. Access to judicial review? Denied.
Nightmare, huh?
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