Mrs Avery beats the bullies

Mrs Edith Avery's allotment is hers - for the foreseeable future.

The jobsworths on Rogerstone Council were forced to climb down in the face of a gale of public anger. The report I have had from tonight's meeting suggests that their about turn was anything but graceful. One councillor tried a sideswipe at me saying that I should be involved in more important matters.

There are few issues more important than defending a vulnerable lady of mature years against the small-minded bullying of puffed-up dictators. The leading members of this council should consider whether they are fit persons to hold public office. Clearly their judgement is hopeless.

Thanks to all those who have voiced their support.Your views counted. I am sure that Mrs Avery will be extremely grateful. Messages have support have come from far and wide. A facebook support site attracted 100 names very quickly. The Council should apologise for the unnecessary distress and worry they have caused. Perhaps a gift of flowers for Mrs Avery's allotment would be an appropriate gift. 

I am sure the rates could afford that.

Revolt

It was unplanned and settled in a conversation on the backbenchers after the vote had been called.

I sought the view of backbencher Andrew Dismore.  He was against a clause that would end the centuries old right of of privilege of MPs. Gordon Prentice and three other MPs joined the conversation. The general feeling was to abstain or vote in favour and hope that the Lords would sort it out. I said that I wouldvote  against.

In the NO Lobby I was surprised to see Margaret Beckett, John Reid and John Austin. Gordon Prentice, Andrew Dismore and the others in out backbench chat also voted against. For once we knew that our backbench chat made a difference. The clause was defeated by 250 votes to 247. Without our discussion the clause would have been adopted.

Jack Straw sensibly said that he would accept the will of the House. This bill is necessary but in many ways is an over-reaction to the expenses crisis. We must not be panicked into dumping rights that are the inheritance of centuries.

Labour joy

Compulsory ID cards scrapped, a railway line nationalised and the partial privatisation of the Royal Mail is off.

All the main worries of future conflicts among the labour ranks are gone. Cancelling Trident would move us from happy to ecstatic. That decision can be delayed but cash must be saved from some useless project. Nothing is more futile than the vain glorious Trident. 

Anyone any idea in what circumstances we might use it?

Comments

[valleylad]

"Compulsory ID cards scrapped" but not the database which is the really baddy. Also to facilitate cost savings it will utilise data from other government databases which HMG already knows is largely inaccurate. Hardly in the spirit of the DPA so the Orwellian govt continues...
Now if hunting Alan Johnson down with dogs was a lawful response to anyone being inconvenienced, damaged or wrongly accused of anything, or any data leaking - I'd be slightly less negative.

[George Laird]

Dear Paul

I am so glad that Mrs Avery has been allowed to keep her allotment and to continue to enjoy it.

Sometimes little stories like this perk people up.

I hope she has many more years of peaceful enjoyment.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

[Kay Tie]

"NONE has been found. In spite of the vast publicity, no one has been harmed by the losses."

You just can't say that. None of the lost CDs have made their presence known subsequently, for sure. How much of the lost data has been used for crime, we simply can't say.

There are some cases we are absolutely sure of. A data loss in the DWP exposed the NI numbers and other details of employees. This data was then used in a massive tax credit fraud.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4502538.stm

Where did the data for that office come from? Well, it must clearly have been a data loss or a data theft. Either way, a large lump of supposedly-secure data found its way into the hands of criminals.

How many of the other frauds are due to similar data breaches? We don't know, but I am willing to bet it's not "none", and I'm also willing to bet that getting an answer to that question from Government departments will be like pulling teeth (or getting an ex-speaker to disclose expenses, if you like your metaphors more current).

[Kay Tie]

"That is a cause for celebration. No?"

Yes, indeed. That this Government has given up - for now - on the universality of it is a Good Thing. I shall raise a glass to what is becoming apparent as one of the few decent people sitting in the cabinet.

"My objections to ID are likely IT foul-up and the cost."

And they haven't gone away, alas.

[DG]

I believe Government are hard to work with on IT projects mainly because decision making is so slow and bureaucratic. Increased time to implement = increased costs.

[Paul W]

Paul, even if none of the information has been found is it acceptable for it to be put onto a cd and be lost in the first place? Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't in the future. You cannot have tens of thousands of people accessing the data and still keep it secure.

The example I gave means 100 families now have to look over their shoulders because their private data was compromised. I don't call that no harm.

I agree completely about the governments inability to run a major project. I have yet to see one which comes in on time, to spec and on budget. The IT press comment all of the time regarding the inability of government to do this.

[Paul Flynn]

Paul W, this issue has hosted several threads about missing data. Millions of bit of information has been lost. NONE has been found. In spite of the vast publicity, no one has been harmed by the losses.

My objections to ID are likely IT foul-up and the cost.

[Paul Flynn]

KayTie, I said "compulsory" ID cards to be scrapped. That is a cause for celebration. No?

[Paul W]

I'm betting that government and business particularly financial will make it more and more difficult to prove identity and then creating a express method by using the ID card.

The case in N.I. regarding the police data input clerk who looked up vehicle details and then gave it to his terrorist buddies highlights the dangers of all of these databases. I do not like them and I don't want my details on there where thousands of people can easily get my personal info. If it isn't the Home Office losing the data its someone stealing it.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/01/police_database_snooped/

Paranoid...me? Nah.

[Kay Tie]

Alas, Paul, ID cards haven't been scrapped: the system is still being built, at enormous cost. Filthy Foreigners still have to have them.

The database still exists. The money is being spent. The only difference is that Alan Johnson has given up on the idea of forcing the rest of us to carry them. But you know as well as I do that Alan Johnson cannot bind a future parliament. It's perfectly possible that a future government, keen to respond to some atrocity, merely says that we all will have to carry ID cards.

[DG]

"Anyone any idea in what circumstances we might use it?"

Pre-emptive strike on North Korea?

(That's NOT a suggestion, btw - just a hypothesis)