Teather And Top Panel To Debate Freedom And Security

12.51.46pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 22nd Jan 2008

Sarah Teather is taking a stand against Labour's civil liberties attack

Brent's Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather will be joined by a top panel of experts at a public meeting to discuss the Government's attack on traditional civil liberties. "Freedom and Security: Can We Have Both?" will take place at Willesden Green Library Centre on Thursday 31 January 2008 at 7:30pm.

Entry to the debate is free and all are welcome.

Sarah organised the debate because local people are worried that Labour's response to terrorism and surge of new laws have greatly impacted on our personal freedoms and hard won civil liberties. Labour's measures have disproportionately affected ethnic minorities and Muslim communities:

• 140,000 people who have never been charged with a criminal offence are on the National DNA database;

• You are 6 times more likely to be stopped and searched if you are black and twice as likely to be stopped and searched if you are Asian;

• Labour's plans to double the current limit for detaining terror suspects without charge would be the longest period in all of Western Europe;

• ID cards will soon see 49 pieces of personal information held about everyone in the country on one big database. In European countries that have ID cards, they have not been shown to stop terrorists;

Shami Chakrabati (Director of Liberty), Dr Daud Abdullah (Deputy Director of the Muslim Council of Britain) and Steve Pope (Editor of The Voice newspaper) will join the panel.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Labours knee jerk reaction to the terrorist threat has led to an unprecedented clamp down on our personal freedoms. Terrorism is clearly a serious threat, but we must not allow the terrorists to win by giving up Britain's commitment to fairness and justice.

"All too often Labour's legislation has particularly impacted on Black and Ethnic Minorities in Brent. Thousands of innocent people now have their DNA stored by the Government, including three in four young black men."

"I organised this debate because I want people to have their say on the Government's controversial plans and new laws. I am delighted to be sharing a platform with such distinguished speakers and hope that people in Brent will come along to debate this important topic."

Related Links:

Liberty.

The Voice.

Muslim Council of Britain.

No ID Cards.