Restoring individual liberty has long been a Liberal Democrat aspiration. Nick Clegg has
pursued the cause in government; with mixed results it must be said, particularly on control orders. But Clegg is unperturbed and today he is introducing the Freedom Bill. He previews its contents
with a typically clear piece in today’s Telegraph.
The measures are extensive. Pervasive CCTV is to be curbed; ContactPoint, the database containing the personal details of every child in England, is to be switched off. These liberal measures accompany those that have already been taken, such as scrapping the ID cards. Essentially, his argument is distilled into this neat paragraph:
‘We are looking at liberty across the board, at both the controversial and the seemingly mundane. Freedom is back in fashion. While our predecessors took it away, we will give it back.’
Fashion is the key here. Are these policies vote-winners? Much hunch is no. Liberty is beloved conversation topic in erudite circles, but few in this genuinely free society are exercised by the creep of surveillance, some of which makes the public feel more secure. There is considerable support for CCTV and many oppose its removal. Whether CCTV actually makes them more secure is open to debate. Clegg will have to demonstrate that it does not if this Bill is to be something more than a salve to the Lib Dem conscience.
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