BRITAIN: Mr Tony Blair and his ministers have been accused of cultivating a "climate of fear" after a Queen's Speech putting security and crime at the heart of the British government's pre-election programme. Frank Millar reports from London
Queen Elizabeth yesterday opened what is presumed to be the last parliamentary session before the general election by unveiling a raft of measures covering everything from terrorism to vandalism. The queen told the assembled peers and MPs: "My government recognises that we live in a time of global uncertainty, with an increased threat from international terrorism and organised crime."
And she confirmed the theme of the new session - and almost certainly of Labour's election campaign - would be "security and opportunity for all".
With Chancellor Gordon Brown's pre-budget statement next week set to focus on the "opportunity" aspects of the government's social and economic plans, the emphasis yesterday was on Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett's challenge to the Conservatives on law and order and security issues.
The Home Office is set to dominate the new session with plans for a national identity card, the creation of a British-style FBI, and new measures to combat drugs and anti-social behaviour. The new crime fighting force - the Serious Organised Crime Agency - heralds a crackdown on drug gangs, people traffickers, international paedophiles and major fraud operations. And a new Counter Terrorism Bill is expected to include provisions for some non-jury trials and the admission of phone-tap evidence in British courts.
The renewed drive against drug offences will see people arrested for some crimes subject to compulsory drug testing, while the proposed Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill will give councils more powers to tackle fly tipping, abandoned cars, noise nuisance and light pollution.
Looking ahead to the chancellor's statement next week, the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, told MPs that although security and crime were central to this Queen's Speech, it should be seen alongside the government's on-going investment in the public services and continuing economic stability.
At the same time Mr Blunkett denied the government was "scaremongering" and insisted it had actually played down the terrorist threat by emphasising its repeated message to the public of "alert over alarm". And he said tackling anti-social behaviour was the first step in making people feel more secure in their communities and in the wider world.
However, Conservative leader Mr Michael Howard accused the government of "over-hyping" measures to tackle terrorism and complained of this latest example of what he called Labour's "pre-occupation with talk, spin and newspaper headlines".
The Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Charles Kennedy, said it was dangerous and "insidious" for ministers to mix terrorism and security measures in the public mind with questions of domestic disorder.
Mr Kennedy vowed to oppose the introduction of identity cards and told cheering Lib Dem MPs he believed they could thwart this legislation. ID cards had not prevented the "depraved individuals" responsible for the terrorist attacks in Madrid and New York, he said, insisting they offered no "fundamental stop" or "fail-safe". His parliamentary chairman, Mr Matthew Taylor, joined the attack accusing the government of "focusing on fear". Mr Taylor said: "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."
The Conservative Party co-chairman, Dr Liam Fox, added to the charge: "It is clear they are trying to raise the fears from terrorism . . . that is quite despicable, but it is a desperate government."
The mood of scepticism was heightened yesterday as "intelligence" sources apparently offered briefing and counter-briefing about an alleged terrorist plan, said to have been thwarted by the security services, to launch a New York-style bombing attack on London's Canary Wharf.
The director of the human rights group Liberty, Shami Chakrabati, said: "Tough talk and tougher legislation is cheap. It doesn't make us any safer from crime, terrorism and the other great causes of fear. What it will do is undermine the very democracy that this government and its allies across the Atlantic say they want to defend."