Now there are 1,000 laws that will let the state into your home

[Reboot]

Now there are 1,000 laws that will let the state into your home

The Daily Mail | July 20, 2008

The march of the Big Brother state under Labour was highlighted last night as it was revealed that there are now 1,043 laws that give the authorities the power to enter a home or business.

Nearly half have been introduced since Labour came to power 11 years ago. They include the right to:

• Invade your home to see if your pot plants have pests or do not have a 'plant passport' (Plant Health England Order 2005).

• Survey your home and garden to see if your hedge is too high (Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003).

• Check that accommodation given to asylum seekers is not being lived in by non-asylum seekers (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999).

• Raid a house to check if unlicensed gambling is taking place (Gambling Act 2005 Inspection Regulations 2007).

• Seize fridges without the correct energy rating (Energy Information Household Refrigerators and Freezers Regulations 2004).

The rise in clipboard-wielding state inspectors flies in the face of repeated pledges by Ministers to curb the power of bureaucrats.

The full extent of the state's 'powers of entry' is revealed in documents slipped out quietly by the Government last week.

The information was posted on the Home Office website, but in a highly unusual move, the computer file was locked to prevent it being copied or printed. A secret Home Office password was required to access the file.

A Home Office spokeswoman denied the restrictions were an attempt to stop the state's powers being circulated more widely.

She claimed it was a 'mistake' and the file would be unlocked tomorrow.

Some 420 new powers of entry are the product of laws introduced since 1997. A further 16 are in laws due to be approved by Parliament in the next few weeks.

A recent study by the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank warned that the 'proliferation and variety' of such laws mean householders can no longer 'realistically be aware' of their rights and legal obligations.

Gordon Brown last year announced a review of 'powers of entry' laws and said they would be subjected to a 'liberty test' to stop abuses by the state.

However, new powers set to be approved by Parliament include inspecting for non-human genetic material, for looted cultural property from Iraq and for 'undeclared' carbon dioxide, as well as enforcing bin tax.

Town hall 'bin police' already have the right to enter homes, take photographs, seize contents of bins, and 'investigate as required'.

Householders can be fined up to £5,000 if they refuse entry or 'obstruct' an official.

Shadow Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: 'Day by day under Labour, the rights and liberties of law-abiding citizens are being eroded.'

In full: Home Office list of our 1,000-plus Big Brother laws

[yeti]

I hold dual Canadian/British Citizenship, but live in Canada.

In 1999, I was actively searching for a job in London, and found quite a few with very good salaries (for Brits) - £45K to £75K. My buddy who works for the BBC said that would not be enough to live comfortably in London, so I didn't move.

Lately I have been getting offers from some of the companies I contacted years ago, asking if I would move to the UK - all expenses paid. I've told every one of them that I would rather live almost any other place than rip-off and now police-state Britain. Several of them have told me off the record that their IT people are leaving in droves for exactly that reason.

It's a sinking ship. Anyone who reasonably can get out is getting out right now.

I hear the same is becoming true in the U.S.

[Genteel]

Thanks for the outrageous post, Yeti! I may not have told you, but I am a Canadian working and living in the States. I would testify that we are rapidly becoming that state as you mentioned. The photo cameras are up in even the smallest towns. All put up and monitored not by police, but by public/private partnerships. The only other fact that scares me more than what is going on around us, but that there are so few people that care. If I create a stink, or start protesting, I'll be kicked back to Canada. I talked with a guy today, and he said that he was grateful that he is as old as he is because he is going to leave it to the younger ones to stop what is coming. The lousy little @#$%@#$%. If he doesn't stop it, no one will. He just doesn't realize it. Oh well, on it comes.

[yeti]

Quote:Thanks for the outrageous post, Yeti! I may not have told you, but I am a Canadian working and living in the States. I would testify that we are rapidly becoming that state as you mentioned. The photo cameras are up in even the smallest towns.

Did you hear how the photo radar cameras they were putting up on highway 401 were mysteriously being smashed to smithereens shortly after being installed? I've heard the CCTVs in Toronto are mysteriously getting their CCDs burnt out. No protests, no debate, just Canadians doing the job quietly and efficiently...

[Genteel]

Not only in Canada, but in Europe, too! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/england/2713083.stm Okay that is from 2003... This is a current site that documents all the locations of cameras and shows all the ones that have been vandalized. http://www.speedcam.co.uk/ Go Brits!!!

[TribalSun47]

Quote:

Quote:Thanks for the outrageous post, Yeti! I may not have told you, but I am a Canadian working and living in the States. I would testify that we are rapidly becoming that state as you mentioned. The photo cameras are up in even the smallest towns.

Did you hear how the photo radar cameras they were putting up on highway 401 were mysteriously being smashed to smithereens shortly after being installed? I've heard the CCTVs in Toronto are mysteriously getting their CCDs burnt out. No protests, no debate, just Canadians doing the job quietly and efficiently...

That's great to know. I live in the outskirts of the Toronto area and have yet to see any cameras popping around, except at the odd major intersection. I best be polishing my baseball bat, just in case.

Quote:It is the fourth speed camera to be vandalised in north Lancashire in the past two months and is expected to cost £24,000 to replace.

It looks like that's how they get the people back. By charging 24,000 pounds to replace the camera.

[rsol]

thats gonna be the first target once this all really kicks off. Forget sticks and stones.....paintball. The money it would take to clean these things:)