Steve Beasant

Commenting on today’s High Court decision to revoke a terror suspect’s control order, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “This is a further blow to the Government’s illiberal control orders regime. 

“The ruling has pointed out what ministers should have already known - that it is unacceptable to restrict people’s liberty without telling them why.

“It is not acceptable for the Government to introduce a revolving door regime where as soon as one control order is quashed it is replaced by another. They should be scrapped altogether.”

Commenting on reports that an MI5 officer visited Morocco three times at the same time as former terror suspect Binyam Mohamed claims he was being tortured there, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:
 
“This strengthens the case for a full public inquiry into the involvement of the British Government in the criminal offences of torture and state kidnap.

“It seems remarkable that this official could make several visits to Morocco during the time that Binyam Mohammed claims to have been held there, and yet deny that he was aware of any wrongdoing.

“Torture and state kidnap are against every principle this country holds dear. The public are entitled to know what their Government does in their name. Right now there are far more questions than answers.” 

The equivalent of more than 1,300 Olympic sized swimming pools worth of water leaks from British pipes every day, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

Figures released in a Parliamentary answer show that 3,291 megalitres (millions of litres) leaked from pipes every day last year.

The Liberal Democrats today published Our Natural Heritage: Policies on the Natural Environment, which includes proposals to give Ofwat the power to set stricter leakage targets and penalties for water companies.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Tim Farron said: “It is mind boggling to think that the equivalent of more than 1,300 Olympic sized swimming pools worth of water is lost every day from leaking pipes.

“Year after year, people have seen their water bills shoot up while a ridiculous amount of water is still being wasted.

“Water companies should be forced to meet much tougher leakage targets or face big fines.”

  Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: “There have now been 60,000 prisoners released early.

  “Commenting on Government figures showing that more than 60,000 prisoners have been released early from prison under the End of Custody Licence, David Howarth said: “This is a disaster of the Government’s own making. There have now been 60,000 prisoners released early because ministers chose to sound tough rather than get to grips with the prison overcrowding crisis.

  “Instead of releasing dangerous offenders early, ministers must look at more effective forms of sentencing, such as restorative justice.”

Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson, Lord Clement-Jones has launched the Live Music Bill. 

The Bill received its First Reading in the House of Lords on 15th July 2009 and is awaiting a more formal second reading sometime in the Autumn.

The Live Music Bill aims to revive live music by:

Ø     Creating an exemption from licences for the performance of any live music in a pub or similar venue

Ø     Reintroducing the rule allowing up to two performers to play live music anywhere without the need for a licence

Ø     Enabling hospitals, schools and colleges to perform live music without the need for licences

Commenting on the launch of his Bill, Lord Clement-Jones said: “We were literally promised ‘an explosion’ of live music when the Licensing Act went through in 2003, yet the reality has been a major reduction in performances in the small venues which are so important to new artists.

“This Bill will provide crucial exemptions and free small venues from the bureaucracy and cost of the Act which I am sure will be of major benefit to Britain’s talented musicians and the many millions of people who enjoy live music.”

You can view a PDF of the Bill here.

  Speaking on BBC this afternoon, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said that there was a “clear case” for Gary McKinnnon to be tried in the UK, and called for a “level playing” field in the extradition process between the UK and US.

  He said there was a “clear case” for Mr McKinnon to be tried in the UK given it is “where it originated and where he confessed his guilt”.

  Chris Huhne went on to call for a “level playing field” in the extradition process between the UK and the US, adding that there is at present an “in balance in terms of the extradition requests refused and the number of extraditions in both directions”.

British computer expert Gary McKinnon today lost his latest High Court bid to avoid extradition to America where he faces trial for hacking into U.S. military networks.

His lawyers argued that extraditing the 43-year-old, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, would lead to ‘disastrous consequences’ for his health, including possible psychosis and suicide.

But today Lord Justice Stanley Burnton and Mr Justice Wilkie, sitting in London, dismissed his claim for judicial review.

Mr McKinnon, from Wood Green, north London, asked the court to overturn decisions of successive Home Secretaries allowing his extradition to go ahead.

He also challenged a refusal by Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to put him on trial in the UK on charges of computer misuse. UK trial would allow him to avoid extradition.

Lord Justice Burnton said: “For the reasons set out in the judgment the claims against the secretary of state and DPP are dismissed.”

His mother, Janis Sharp, said outside court: “We are heartbroken. If the law says it’s fair to destroy someone’s life in this way then it’s a bad law.”

She added: “Our hope still lies with the Government. What more evidence do Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson need to understand what extraditing Gary would do to him, let alone us?

“Gary would not survive and I would never see my son again. All to oblige the Americans?

“If Gary’s was such a dreadful crime, he should have been prosecuted and sentenced here years ago.

“Instead he’s been left tortured by fear for seven years. Compassion can and must now prevail.”

Lawyers for Mr McKinnon, who was told the decision yesterday, described him as an ‘UFO eccentric’ who had been searching for evidence of extra-terrestrial life, and described the idea that he was a danger to U.S. national security as ‘a complete fantasy’.

Karen Todner, Mr McKinnon’s solicitor, said: “This ruling is hugely disappointing. But we shall not stop here.

“Alan Johnson still has the power to act. We have 28 days to review the judgment and will continue to explore every legal avenue until we achieve a just and proper result.”

A large campaign involving family, politicians, civil rights groups, sympathetic media and celebrities has supported the hacker’s long battle against extradition.

A raft of leading politicians, including David Cameron and Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg along with many high-profile celebrities are backing the fight to stop his extradition on ‘cyber-terrorism’ charges.

Former Liberal Democrat Leader, Sir Menzies Campbell said: “This is a profoundly disappointing decision.

“The people who should hang their heads in shame are the members of the Government who negotiated an extradition treaty with the United States which places British citizens in a much weaker position than their American counterparts.

“If this was happening in America there would be a public outcry and Congress would be moving might and main to prevent it.”

Last week respected Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay announced he was quitting Westminster in disgust after MPs failed to have the courage to vote in a Commons debate for a review of the 2003 Extradition Act in the wake of the controversy over Gary’s case.

Earlier this week analysis by the Liberal Democrats revealed that the odds are stacked overwhelmingly against any British citizen wanted by the Americans for extradition.

Courts in the UK approve 89 per cent of U.S. extradition requests compared to only seven in ten requests by the British authorities that are granted by the Americans.

Under the controversial act the U.S. can demand a Briton’s extradition without having to prove any evidence while Britain has to prove its case in a U.S. court.

Speaking on the BBC News today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable praised: the Treasury Select Committee for their report into banking regulation reform and said the row between the Conservatives and Labour on the issue was like a “playground punch-up”.

Earlier today Labour MP, John McFall and the Chair of the Select Committee said the government plans for reform of banking regulation were “a bit of a muddle”.

Vince Cable said that the row between the Conservatives and Labour over how best to reform regulation was like a “playground punch up”, and warned that the Tory plans to dissolve the FSA would lead to the “creation of a lot of uncertainty at a very key point”.

He went on to say the system needs to be clarified, and added “the Bank of England needs to have overall authority over anything involving systemic risk.

Vince Cable also criticised the government role in promoting bank lending to individuals, saying: “It’s absolutely infuriating. It’s very difficult to understand why the government has been so slow on getting on top of this.”

  This article was written by Nick Clegg and appeared in today’s Independent Newspaper

  It seems the Prime Minister is the only person left in the country who thinks there shouldn’t be a televised debate between party leaders at the next general election.

  It would be an opportunity for transparency, to reinvigorate political debate, and to put party manifestos and leaders up against one another in a fair competition.

  Gordon Brown says there’s no need for debates because we have Prime Minister’s Questions. But, despite nearly always descending into farce and name-calling, at PMQs, opposition leaders can only ask questions about government policy. In a proper debate, each leader would be able to question both the other parties’ policies as well as championing his own.

Our politics is marred by profound unfairness. Big donations mean far too much is decided by which party has the biggest coffers. A televised debate would go some way to correcting that.

A debate wouldn’t advantage a party; it would advantage the people. It would be the voters’ opportunity to see the leaders competing to be Prime Minister promoting their policies and answering difficult questions about how they’d change the country.

It would bring in a wider audience than leaders could reach otherwise, giving more people the opportunity to make up their own minds based on the facts.

If Gordon Brown believed in the Labour party and his own record, he would be champing at the bit to hold this debate. I’m eager because I want people to know about Liberal Democrat policies, and I want the opportunity to explain why Labour and the Conservatives would take us in the wrong direction. Labour’s time is up, and the Conservatives think it’s automatically their turn, but I think in these difficult times we need to do something altogether different.

Nick Clegg, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats

The Government has backed the Grimsby Evening Telegraph’s Campaign “A Toll Too Far” and ruled there will be no increase in Humber Bridge crossing charges. 

The tolls will remain at their current levels in light of the economic climate, Transport Minister Sadiq Khan has announced. 

The Bridge Board proposed increasing the tolls from £2.70 to £2.90 for cars and hiking the price for other vehicles. 

But the public outcry – captured in A Toll Too Far campaign – saw the Secretary of State order an inquiry. 

Today, the Government’s decision, based on the inquiry inspector’s report, has been welcomed by campaigners and businesses throughout North East Lincolnshire. 

But they still insist that the tolls are too high – and a regional delegation will soon meet with the Department for Transport to discuss the idea of a £1-a-crossing trial. 

Officially announcing his ruling, Mr Khan said: “The Government is doing everything it can to protect communities and businesses from the economic downturn, and to help the country recover. 

“I do not believe it is right for the Humber Bridge tolls to be raised in the current economic climate and so after careful consideration I have decided not to accept the proposed increases. 

“This will help local people and businesses who rightly had concerns about the impact of increased tolls in the current economic climate.” 

Meanwhile, the Bridge Board will seek an urgent meeting with the Government to try and head off big financial problem in the wake of the toll decision. 

Board treasurer Michael Hudson revealed earlier this year the huge shortfalls faced by the managers of the iconic landmark if the tolls were not increased. 

About £800,000 was lost in the first year of the toll application – which was originally made in March 2008 – and it was estimated another £1-million would be lost this year. 

The decision could cause problems for Humber Bridge Board because they had proposed the increase to help pay off the bridge’s £333m debt.

At the last Bridge Board meeting in June, clerk Kim Ryley said the board would seek to meet with the Government urgently in the event the toll increase was rejected. 

Mr Hudson confirmed this was the intention of the board in a statement late yesterday. 

He said: “We have just received a phone call from the Transport Minister’s office with very limited information about his conclusions, thus the board is not yet in a position to assess the impact on the bridge’s finances. 

“We have, therefore, requested an urgent meeting with the department to discuss what this means in terms of the Bridge’s debt repayments.” 

An urgent meeting of the Bridge Board is likely to be called to discuss the next step forward for the committee.