Douglas Carswell's Blog

The April Fool's gag that nearly got me

I almost fell for it. That April Fool's gag about the government requiring internet companies to pass on our personal details so they can access them without a warrant or other due process. Ha! Almost had me.

The fact that in opposition both Conservatives and Lib Dems were so clearly against this kind of thing made me realise it was a joke almost right away. For us to flip flop within less than two years in office would be like an episode from Yes, Minister. Hilarious - but not how government actually works, right?

I'm afraid that after the hacking scandal, where state agencies and the police allegedly colluded with certain newspapers to pass on people's personal information, the idea that the government would actually do anything like this is just not plausible.

Is it?

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