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Thursday 28 February 2013

What worries me about the revised Justice and Securities Bill Update...

Julian Huppert has written an update on where things stand on the Justice and Securities Bill. As you might expect from Julian, it is clear, detailed and intelligent. And as you might hope, progress has clearly been made.

But when I read it, I was left with a very uncomfortable feeling that I'd been here before. It all feels a little like the post conference responses to the NHS Bill. We've seen what the Tories wanted to do, said no, revised it, and ended up in a much better place. But still not a place we've have ever got to, or tried ever to get to, on our own.

And having spent so long on those revisions - you start to take ownership of the bill. It's not the Tories Justice and Security Bill anymore - somehow, because we've done all the pushing and revising - it's become ours. And I don't think we want it...

Now, of course I need to ponder Julian's piece and decide whether we're now in a good enough place to let things progress, or if I want to throw toys out of prams, or most likely) somewhere in between. And I will listen to the wise counsel, like Jo Shaw , of folk who know more about this than I do.

But still. It does feel like it's become the Lib Dems bill now. And I don't think that's a good thing.

2 comments:

  1. The trouble with Julian's post is, it's wrong. The amendments he refers to have not been delivered by the government. So it starts from a false premise. I am drafting a full response.

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  2. Thanks Jo - i shall look out for it! Keep up the good work!!

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