Comment by blibble

quite why Labour deserve the benefit of the doubt on anything authoritarian I don't know

Labour was behind:

    - forced key disclosure (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000), still in force
    - 72 day detention without charge (Terrorism Act 2006), defeated before it became an Act
    - national identity register and mandatory id cards (Identity Cards Act 2006), ripped up by the next Tory government
    - various attempts at removal of ancient right to trial by jury (partially successful)

they are as bad, if not worse than the tories