The UK continues to slide into authoritarianism. This is not something the people have asked for. Not looking forward to how this plays out if they get a Reform (far right) government next election, like all the polls seem to think.
The Tories used new legislation to restrict protests, sliced away at union powers even introducing law stating the gov can force 'essential' workers back to work, created and pushed through the Online Safety act (then left labour to enforce it).
And that was only in the few years mess under May/Boris/Rishi
"Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: Expands police powers to restrict protests based on "serious disruption," including imposing noise limits and start/finish times, reported the BBC.
Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023: Enables employers to mandate service levels during strikes in sectors like health, transport, and fire services, effectively curbing union power, notes Labour Research.
Public Order Act 2023: Introduced further measures against "disruptive" protest tactics, such as locking on, often used by environmental protestors, explain Sage Journals and peoplesmomentum.com.
Nationality and Borders Act 2022: Critiqued for undermining international refugee law and introducing differential treatment for asylum seekers based on their method of arrival, write Sage Journals.
Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022: Critics argue this act weakens judicial oversight, reducing the ability of citizens to challenge government decisions in court, says Zara Sultana on TikTok.
Online Safety Act 2023: While aimed at protecting users, some critics raised concerns about potential impacts on free speech and the regulation of content, suggest Sage Journals. "
The polls are sharply delineated by age group, however. Giving the members of cabinet the direct power to order arbitrary criminal inquiries to be shut or created polled very well with over-40s and very poorly with under-40s.
There has been a legitimate issue with local police not having the resources to investigate crimes that exceed their jurisdiction or expertise. Most notably the case with computer-based crimes. This is the response. Do you have a better suggestion?
It's weird. I would say politically, the UK has no aspirations towards authoritarianism. ANPR has been around for ages, but the state can barely enforce road tax payment. The police have no ambitions for a brutalised US style culture. Reform is a bit of an unknown, but even they started making murmurs about how Trump is taking it a bit too far.
And yet undoubtedly the UK keeps introducing these privacy-hostile mechanisms, and it's not even clear what for. There is no obvious reason, not a pragmatic one, not a nefarious one (IMO).
Reform isn’t even close to “far right.” Are they trying to defund the NHS? Get rid of government pensions? Immigration restriction isn’t “far right.” The sharp curtailment of immigration from Britain’s colonies was enacted in 1968 under a Labour government. In the U.S., sharply restricting immigration was a policy that prevailed during FDR, who was the most liberal U.S. president in history. “Far right” is someone like Margaret Thatcher or Ronald Reagan who thought the private sector could fix everything.
I think Reform is best understood as the Temu Tory Party. What if you couldn't afford an actual Tory Party, but you saw this advertised for £0 on your phone ?
I think it'll be interesting to watch Tories who could never put together a PM bid that worked wriggle inside Reform to push out Farage. Farage is naturally the leader of an outfit like UKIP, actual Nazis in the trenches, led by a few people you can put in a suit who know not to do the salute and who make sure not to say the wrong thing on camera. But, he doesn't want to lead UKIP, he wanted to be Prime Minister, and that's a harder lift.
jpfromlondon|1 month ago
That said I can't imagine any government willingly giving up the power grabbed by Labour.
pcdevils|1 month ago
"Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: Expands police powers to restrict protests based on "serious disruption," including imposing noise limits and start/finish times, reported the BBC.
Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023: Enables employers to mandate service levels during strikes in sectors like health, transport, and fire services, effectively curbing union power, notes Labour Research.
Public Order Act 2023: Introduced further measures against "disruptive" protest tactics, such as locking on, often used by environmental protestors, explain Sage Journals and peoplesmomentum.com.
Nationality and Borders Act 2022: Critiqued for undermining international refugee law and introducing differential treatment for asylum seekers based on their method of arrival, write Sage Journals.
Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022: Critics argue this act weakens judicial oversight, reducing the ability of citizens to challenge government decisions in court, says Zara Sultana on TikTok.
Online Safety Act 2023: While aimed at protecting users, some critics raised concerns about potential impacts on free speech and the regulation of content, suggest Sage Journals. "
blibble|1 month ago
the average British voter likes the authoritarianism
OgsyedIE|1 month ago
unknown|1 month ago
[deleted]
kevin_thibedeau|1 month ago
jpfromlondon|1 month ago
rich_sasha|1 month ago
And yet undoubtedly the UK keeps introducing these privacy-hostile mechanisms, and it's not even clear what for. There is no obvious reason, not a pragmatic one, not a nefarious one (IMO).
ronsor|1 month ago
I would say they're aiming more for a boring authoritarian dystopia than a bombastic one.
rayiner|1 month ago
tialaramex|1 month ago
I think it'll be interesting to watch Tories who could never put together a PM bid that worked wriggle inside Reform to push out Farage. Farage is naturally the leader of an outfit like UKIP, actual Nazis in the trenches, led by a few people you can put in a suit who know not to do the salute and who make sure not to say the wrong thing on camera. But, he doesn't want to lead UKIP, he wanted to be Prime Minister, and that's a harder lift.
jpfromlondon|1 month ago