Gordon Brown has defended the use of CCTV, ID cards and the DNA database - saying they protect civil liberties.

In a speech to the IPPR think tank, the prime minister said they helped ensure people's right to live free from crime.

This is from the news story via the BBC regarding Brown's speech to the IPPR think tank. It seems as though the argument Brown wishes to deploy is that we're all safer if we're under greater governmental control and security service surveillance. In fact in a week or so's time Brown is going to unveil a policy that says we are all to be chained to our work desks or sofa's (depending on the time of day) to ensure that no-one has the opportunity to take anyone elses freedoms away from them via crime ever again!

The Liberal Democrats announced on Tuesday a "radical" new plan that aims to shake up transport policy in the country for the future. Unfortunately for them it really isn't radical enough, more accurately it is a collection of good ideas marred by not enough courage or vision to be truly radical wrapped up in a package who's most radical proposal is to fund and create one of the most illiberal transport legislature ever made.

Cutting fuel duty and abolishing VED over the next 10 years and introducing a cost-neutral road user pricing scheme on motorways and trunk roads. - Liberal Democrat Website

If you're interested in more of this debate amongst Lib Dem bloggers and other interested parties then head over to Lib Dem Voice now and take a look at what's been said. Otherwise please read on for more of my thoughts by following the link below!

News comes out today, as it seems to be most days now as Brown tries his hardest to save his career, that Brown is definitely still sticking to his terror plan, as if we didn't bloody well know.

Over at Harry's Place the response to this news is that they of course think that it's not as bad as people are making out...and by the way it isn't as bad as other awful legislation so what are we complaining about, ungrateful souls that we are?

Why not just oppose the legislation as it is, rather than misrepresenting it? The judicial and parliamentary oversight protect people from just being locked up for 42 days for no reason. Why don't critics acknowledge this?

Remember for those that feel liberal, or even left, and actually understand the sensitivity of this issue the you can join many facets of the campaign against the 42 day detenton laws...most of them detailed on Liberal Conspiracy for you to view under "Not a day longer" on the right!

First of all, let me say that it's been a pain being away, but starting a new job and the culture shock that that a busy working life has brought has meant a re-evaluation of my time. Me and Gavin are discussing the future for Politalks, but for now it's on the back burner so that I can have time to actually blog properly again.

And so here I come back with news of even more erosion of civil liberties on the horizon! Yes it seems that either ministers in this government are happy to stare the impending defeat of their rule at the next general election down til the very last, desperate and crushing end, or they are so incompetent they've not yet let their minions know that stories about how they might want to spy on every single phone call and email we make could be a little bit of a vote loser.

I have a bit of a backlog on news that I wish to write about, though some will probably be kept for a rainy day...but it does mean that there are a few stories here that are small enough to warrant small mention but that I'd like to talk briefly about. The issues are about just who is going to University now and the potential re-emergence of the rich/poor gap in higher education, an update on the idea of ISPs monitoring our internet usage for illegal downloading, and Labour actually making a positive announcement for once. I know, the last bit is actually scarily unreal.

Probably not safe for work, here is our third effort. As always we welcome comments on the style and content in an effort to improve! Transcript below...

CCTV, the bane of the libertarian and the tool of the authoritarian. It is a misunderstood beast, with many claiming it to be "surveillance" in to our lives that is unnecessary, and others (mainly the government) trying to point out the benefit to society that they bring. All in all it's a classic case of at least feeling as if our rights are being infringed on even if necessarily they aren't.