Osama really doesn't scare me, Charles Clarke does!

Okay, first, I am NOT some pinko liberal. Anyone who knows me will tell you that, second even a cursory examonation of the blog should confirm it. But the truth is the long dead Mr Bin Laden (come on, he had kidney problems in Afghanistan and hasn't been seen on propaganda videos for years, it's over!) and his cohorts don't stress me. Sure it's desperate if you died on July 7th or know someone who did. But day to day, they have almost no impact on most of us.

Charles Clarke, Blair and the rest however, have a huge impact. They claim to be "defending our freedom against the terrorists" Lets examine that.

First, we established the following "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned or stripped of his rights or possessions...except by the lawful judgement of his equals" That's clause 39 of the Magna Carta, from 1215. It was designed to stop the tyranny of the crown.

It's now gone. Doubt me? Look at the anti-terror laws. You can indeed be seized or imprisoned or have your assets stripped, or frozen. Government says, yes but that's only for terrorists, but no trial means arbitary designation as criminal/terrorist by the government.

Trial by just was reaffirmed in the 1689 Bill of Rights, yet that's under huge pressure.

Lord Devlin onve wrote "The first object of any tyrant in whitehall would be to make parliament utterly subservient to his will"

With the 3-line whips and de-selection for drone labour backbenchers if you dare disagree. who can seriously argue Tony Blair hasn't achieved this?

We live in dangerous times, but the danger comes, not so much from Muslims with Rucksacks, (despite the mega publicity all that gets) but from our leaders, and we are in danger of sleep walking into tradgedy.