Blackburn MP Jack Straw in rebel vote on security (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Blackburn MP Jack Straw in rebel vote on security
5:00pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in News
JACK Straw has voted to allow so-called secret courts defying an instruction from Labour leader Ed Miliband to back a compromise.
The Blackburn MP spoke at Westminster against his party’s attempt to water down moves to allow more judges to examine secret intelligence in private.
Mr Straw then twice defied a ‘three-line whip – the toughest instruction on how to vote given to MPs – to back the Tory government.
He said it was the first time he had done so since a very new MP more than 30 years ago.
Mr Straw said his experience as a former Home and Foreign Secretary had persuaded him the new measures were needed to allow agents from MI5 and MI6 to give evidence in civil courts when the government was sued by individuals or organisations – as he personally had been twice.
Without them, cases would collapse or security service agents identified with catastrophic consequences for the fight against terrorists.
He said: “The heart of the issue is about protecting our national security.
“If we abandon our security agencies, serious atrocities could kill our ordinary people in Blackburn, Burnley or anywhere in the UK.”
Comments(7)
Good call
says...
7:24pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Hold a independent inquiry into 7/7 now.
Dave_P
says...
8:18pm Thu 7 Mar 13
ste.g
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8:58pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Dave_P wrote:i wrote to him on this matter as well along with a letter about the government snooping on our emails/txt etc.these politicians are turning us into a dictatorship.he wont be getting my vote when he decides to run again.
I and many others wrote to Jack Straw about this matter and how he shouldn't back such a bill, he was taking "advice" his reply informed me. Wish I hadn't written to him recently about privatisation in the NHS, that will be a certainty to fail too if we are relying on his support.
happycyclist
says...
9:29pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Good call
says...
10:27pm Thu 7 Mar 13
happycyclist wrote:When pigs fly
When are the people of Blackburn going to realise that Jack Straw is a vile, self-serving, piece of s***?
district01
says...
10:45am Fri 8 Mar 13
happycyclist wrote:But there’s another Straw waiting at Blackburn’s door. His son. Could you wish for anything more?
When are the people of Blackburn going to realise that Jack Straw is a vile, self-serving, piece of s***?
psch says...
6:32pm Thu 7 Mar 13