A constitutional affront to our democracy
Posted by TonyTT on Thursday, 18 January 2007 18:20:23
David
Given the recent scandal involving the government and the Saudi Royal Family with regard to the BAE Typhoon deal I am amazed that no one seems to be thinking about it in the same way that I am, and I would like to know your views on it.
How can it be that in a democracy as mature as ours that the Government of the day has the power to stop or prevent a police criminal investigation without the need to have to go through either the judicial system, or through some committee on which sit our democratically elected representatives'. The mere fact that the government has this direct power under the catch-all phrase of "national security" is a constitutional anomaly that pushes into the boundaries of powers attributed to a dictatorship, not a democracy. Without the constitutional requirement for judicial or parliamentary oversight of some kind, there is in theory no barrier to prevent the government of the day from arbitrarily using this power anytime it wishes under the guise of national security.
As a conservative voter, I would like to ask your views on this, and whether any future Tory government with you as Prime Minister would legislate to change this constitutional affront to our democracy?
BAE, Typhoon, SFO, government, Saudi Arabia, Corruption