Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

LeftishBrit

(41,190 posts)
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 12:23 PM Jun 2014

It's time for a new Magna Carta


When the Guardian was threatened by the government for publishing the Snowden revelations there were demands for a British "first amendment" to entrench freedom of the press. Now that the British state is holding secret trials there is talk of the need for a sixth amendment, that anyone accused "shall enjoy the right ... to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation", or even the fifth, that no one should be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"....

We do have a constitution, of course. Peter Hennessy, now a crossbench peer, once took his students to meet Sir Robin (now Lord) Butler, then cabinet secretary and head of the civil service. One of them innocently asked what is the British constitution. Butler answered: "Something we make up as we go along."

Who is this "we"? It's certainly not "We, the people". When Butler was speaking he was part of the last remnants of the old establishment; now the British constitution is something GCHQ makes up as it goes along....


To snuff out all such radicalism, the official celebrations of its 800 years will be funded 12 months hence by £1m from chancellor George Osborne, and we will be palmed off with an assortment of Magna Balls to express gratitude to Britain's ruling order gifting liberty to the globe



http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/13/new-magna-carta-snowden-surveillance-great-charter
Latest Discussions»Region Forums»United Kingdom»It's time for a new Magna...