Tim Farron lays into Labour over civil liberties

The Liberal Democrats have accused Labour of acting like a “nodding Conservative dog” for giving qualified support to Theresa May’s controversial plans to shake up Britain’s surveillance laws.

Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, has promised to lead the fight against the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill as he seeks to carve out a niche for his party as a champion of civil liberties…

Mr Farron told The Independent: “The Home Secretary has created a sham of judicial authorisation that doesn’t fool me, the public or the experts. It is an utter disgrace.”

He added: “The Labour Party is even worse though. It is acting like Conservatives on this Bill and just acquiescing. It is about as useful as a nodding dog. The Liberal Democrats will make sure the public’s concerns are heard. You can’t rely on Labour or the Tories to stand up for our hard won civil liberties…

Mr Farron’s intervention could raise tensions inside the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn has a strong record of attacking the Tories on civil liberties. But Andy Burnham, the shadow Home Secretary, said Mrs May had “listened to legitimate concerns” and broadly got right the difficult balance between national security and the privacy of individuals. He said the draft Bill was “neither a snooper’s charter nor a plan for mass surveillance.”” [The Independent]