Spying watchdog has a go at councils

Colour me confused. We have a "spying watchdog" who is supposed to protect us from an over-intrusive state using spying in an inappropriate fashion.

They can also be used to target members of the public suspected of breaking the law by fly-tipping, cheating the benefits system or dog fouling. Direct surveillance is used in many cases.

As my reader will recall, I don't have much time for people getting benefits at all, let alone those who cheat the laughably lax system. But using telephone taps to find someone who lets his dog shit on my drive (another huge irritant) is just excessive.

However, Sir Paul said that not enough councils were making use of their powers to obtain communications data from other people. Just 154 local authorities out of more than 410 councils in England and Wales used the powers last year. Sir Paul said many more should use them, but did not suggest which crimes the technology would be suitable for.

He said: "Very few local authorities have used their powers to acquire itemised call records in relation to the investigations which they have conducted.

"Indeed our inspections have shown that generally the local authorities could make much more use of communications data as a powerful tool to investigate crime."

The phone records could be used to identify criminals who "persistently rip off consumers, cheat the taxpayer, deal in counterfeit goods and prey on the elderly and vulnerable".

You what? You're fucking saying that they should spy on us some fucking more?????????

Why stop there, you totalitarian cuntwaft? Why not spy on people who might want the government strung up on lamp posts, along with with useless, toothless watchdogs who want them to spy on the people they are supposed to represent?

And the killer sting to this? It's the wonderfully "libertarian" Conservatives:

To free up police time the Conservatives would axe the requirement for RIPA clearance for CCTV surveillance, using automatic number plate recognition software and public surveillance of a building.

RIPA authorisations would also not be required for commissioning covert recording or bugging of a house or car, or using thermal or x-ray surveillance of a building.

Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, said: "It is not right that we charge our police with combating crime and disorder and then tie their hands behind their backs in the name of Whitehall bureaucracy.

"Conservatives believe the police should be given both the resources and the freedom to use those resources to do their job.

"Revising the RIPA framework so that authorisation – and all the paperwork that goes with it – is not required for basic police work is just one way the Conservatives will cut red tape to free more police onto our streets."

Yep, those libertarian Tories. They're really interested in your civil liberties, aren't they?

Cunts.

Update: One Tory minister, Douglas Carswell seems to be making the right noises, although I'm not sure I agree with his ultimate conclusion:

If pushed, like other officials, he would no doubt trot out the standard line about being accountable to Parliament via Ministers etc etc etc. Utter tosh. I sit in Parliament, and he is not accountable to me - nor anyone else in the House of Commons. The traditional model of accountability to Parliament through Ministers simply does not work any more (look at the SATS fiasco involving the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority).

So far, so good. But:

Until the House of Commons has the power to directly hire and fire quango chiefs like this, we will see more and more Big State intrusion.

No Douglas. Just shut all the quangos down. The government should do less, not get itself more involved in the minutiae of life.

Update 2: The Metro has a poll. Please go and vote.