THE TELEGRAPH: Members of the public will be given the right to nominate unpopular laws they want scrapped, Nick Clegg has announced the Your Freedom initiative intended to begin a shift of power away from the state to the people.
In an article for The Daily Telegraph, the Deputy Prime Minister says that “people, not policy-makers” are the best judges of which “unnecessary laws” should be repealed.
Your Freedom: suggest the laws you want repealed
The “radically different” approach is part of the Coalition’s attempt to redress the balance between the citizen and the state, Mr Clegg argues. He says it is not for Government to tell people “how to live their lives” and that civil liberties should be restored and laws stifling businesses abandoned.
As part of Mr Clegg’s initiative, Telegraph.co.uk is providing a Your Freedom link to the Cabinet Office website where people can put forward their suggestions for which laws should be targeted.
In his article, Mr Clegg says: “Today we are taking an unprecedented step. Based on the belief that it is people, not policy-makers, who know best, we are asking the people of Britain to tell us how you want to see your freedom restored.
“We are calling for your ideas on how to protect our hard-won liberties and repeal unnecessary laws. And we want to know how best to scale back excessive regulation that denies businesses the space to innovate.
“We’re hoping for virtual mailbags full of suggestions. Every single one will be read, with the best put to Parliament. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Thursday, July 01, 2010
Your Freedom
THE TELEGRAPH: Your Freedom: Nick Clegg calls on public to help repeal bad laws: Nick Clegg has announced the Your Freedom initiative intended to give members of the public the right to nominate unpopular laws they want scrapped. >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: The state has crept further and further into people’s homes and their private lives under the cover of pretending to act in our best interest. That needs to change, says Nick Clegg.
During their 13 years in power, the Labour Government developed a dangerous reflex. Faced with whatever problem, legislation increasingly became the standard response. Something needs fixing? Let’s pass a new law.
And so, over the last decade, thousands of new rules and regulations have amassed on the statute book. And it is our liberty that has paid the price. Under the cover of pretending to act in our best interest, the state has crept further and further into people’s homes and their private lives. That intrusion is disempowering. It needs to change.
The Coalition Government is determined to restore great British freedoms. Major steps have been taken already. ID cards have been halted. Plans are underway to restrict the storage of innocent people’s DNA. Schools will no longer be able to take children’s fingerprints without their parents consent.
But we need to do more. The culture of state snooping has become so ingrained that we must tackle it with renewed vigour. And, especially in these difficult times, entrepreneurs and businesses need our help. We must ensure we are not tying them up in restrictive red tape. Freedom is back in fashion >>> Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister | Thursday, July 01, 2010
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