Sunday 17 January 2010

Political Manifestos

A few days ago I raised the question of statements made in political manifestos and how such manifestos in effect give carte blanche, enabling the introduction of laws over which people have no voice, where the detail is concerned.

An example of this is in a report in today's Sunday Telegraph in which it is reported that the Conservative Party will "change the rules so that anyone acting reasonably to stop a crime or apprehend a criminal is not arrested or prosecuted. And we will give householders greater protection if they have to defend themselves against intruders in their homes."

So what is considered 'acting reasonably', 'greater protection' and 'defend themselves'? It is all very well for Chris Grayling to announce "plans to review the law on self defence if his party wins power at the next election". It is one thing to announce 'plans' and quite another if no 'homework' has been done and therefore no concrete ideas can be put forward to show exactly what changes would be proposed.

One has to assume that as this is the Conservative Party, no 'homework' will have been done, just as no 'homework' was done when they announced their EU policy and the transfer of further powers!

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