Nottingham, Blackburn, Burnley, Hounslow and Harlepool are just a handful of the local authorities who have so far told Sir Simon Milton, though in rather diplomatic and indirect terms, what he can do with his advice on misuse of RIPA.
Despite the huge media attention given to Milton’s letter, did anyone with any knowledge of local authorities really think they were going to take any notice of it at all?
What is needed is a review by central government of which organisations can use RIPA at all. Until that point, all of the no doubt highly paid heads of legal and community services in the local stasis will continue to find legal and political justification for spying on the people they are meant to serve.
Given that Professor Brown exhibits all the signs of someone incapable of telling a) arse from b) elbow, the chances of such a review are slim to non existent.
Tags: local authorities, ripa, sir simon milton, uk
