More crap

Brian Haw has lived outside Parliament since June 2001 protesting against the invasion of Iraq. His website is here.

In a bid to remove this constant reminder of their lying incompetence, the government recently passed legislation making it illegal for anyone to demonstrate within a half mile of parliament without written permission. We don't have a constitution or a written bill of rights in the UK so it is very easy for the government to remove a 'right' that we didn't really have in the first place. I would suggest that the right to demonstrate at the seat of power is not too extreme a measure. Tony obviously disagrees.

Mr Haw has today has won the right to challenge the new laws. Three high court judges will decide by he end of the week if he can continue his demonstration or not. So far so predictable. But one point in the BBC's report stood out, one thing which makes me think that the government really are not confident in their shiny new law. It is this

Nathalie Lieven, appearing for the home secretary, said the new law applied to continuing as well as new demonstrations and described the arguments being put forward by Mr Haw's legal team as "absurd".

Ms Lieven said Mr Haw's display of anti-war banners, placards and flags gave rise to a potential security risk. "It would be easy to leave items that would cause a serious risk to members of the public and MPs," argued Ms Lieven.

Are the government really suggesting that a terrorist could hide a bomb under Mr Haw's banners? Are they that desperate to discredit him and scare the rest of us? What about the bushes and trees in Parliament Square - better cut them all down and concrete over the grass - just in case. What about Westminster Abbey directly opposite the Houses of Parliament. Plenty of places there to hide a bomb so it had better be pulled down - just in case. The Treasury, the Foreign Office, Westminster Bridge all within a few hundred yards of Parliament. They'd better come down. In fact, Blair should level and concrete over any part of London within a half mile radius of his office. He'd then be able to look out onto an expanse of sterile, smooth concrete and be much happier. He'd easily see any demonstrators, sorry terrorists, heading his way and have plenty of time to hide. Better still, as the target is Parliament, why not move that to somewhere safer? One of the Orkney islands would be good. Then London could get on with being London and Tony could get on with being Tony. We could ignore him; he can continue to ignore us in peace and quiet. Aren't I a dreamer?