When we allow ourselves to be conned into accepting mass surveillance, when we buy into the “war on terr” argument, sooner or later, the excess of powers invested in government – both national and local – will be abused.
A council has admitted spying on a family using laws to track criminals and terrorists to find out if they were really living in a school catchment.
A couple and their three children were put under surveillance without their knowledge by Poole Borough Council for more than two weeks.
The council admitted using powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) on six occasions in total.
Three of those were for suspected fraudulent school place applications.
It said two offers of school places were withdrawn as a consequence.
When Liberty refers to this behaviour as “ridiculously disproportionate” and “intrusive” they are employing the classic British understatement. It is a gross abuse of power and people should be prosecuted for doing it. I care not what the offence was committed by this family – if, indeed it is an offence – the council abused its powers in treating them as terrorist suspects, which is effectively what they have done. Trying to get one’s child into the school of choice is a reasonable thing to do.
When the Home Office says this of RIPA:
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) legislates for using methods of surveillance and information gathering to help the prevention of crime, including terrorism.
One is left with the obvious question; since when did trying to get the sprog into a school of choice – or even lying to do so, become equivalent to terrorist activity?
If anything, this activity by Poole council underpins the argument for taking schooling away from the local authority and investing it with private enterprise. All the parents would then have to do is apply, sign on the dotted line and cough up the moolah – or vouchers – every term. The current battle lines between parents and councils is, frankly, ridiculous but this grotesque abuse of RIPA by Poole council is unforgivable.
Allowing the State to nationalise education may have been the greatest mistake in our history. Schools which compete for parents’ money are not interested in social manipulation or in rationing. They must please parents or go bust. When was any sane parent last pleased by Britain’s state schools?
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Just to illustrate that all our political parties (not just Labour) are standing conspiracies against the electorate, Poole Council has a Conservative majority.
I didn’t know that. However, nothing these petty bureaucrats get up to surprises me any more. They are all the same beneath the coloured rosette.