Bendict Brogan has a story today about Strathclyde Police, who appear to have overstepped their remit by setting up their own passport control at Prestwick, demanding that domestic passengers produce passports.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100011026/bit-by-bit-alex-salmond-is-getting-his-way/
(hat tip to Rab)
This has only come to light because a troup of Conservative MPs including Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary arrived at the airport (from England) to be confronted by the local plod with the demand that they produce passports.
Of course, no police force or anybody for that matter, has the right to demand identity papers from UK citizens who travel in the UK.
After all, this is not a police state.
Now, I am all in favour of border controls, but being English myself, in Scotland, am I going to have to wear a yellow star from now on too? If this story is factually true, then the SNP have lost my vote, as from today.
UPDATE:
I may have been a little hasty.
I wrote this late at night, somewhat the worse for wear. I do not, however, accept the contention that "this has nothing to do with the SNP". They govern, they are in charge of Strathclyde Police - either that or they have lost control of them. The SNP is responsible for the policies of Scottish Police forces, and since this is not a matter of law, but of something that has been made up on the spot, Alex Salmond should be very concerned. There is no law in this country that requires people to carry ID or specifically, passports, for the purposes of domestic travel and accordingly, demands to see one are absurd and an abuse of rights.
As for my voting intentions, I am not fickle, I have voted SNP since arriving here Seven years ago.
7 comments:
This is hugely interesting. Simply because entry to all UK ports and airports is controlled by UK Border police, not individual regional police forces, although they may occasionally call upon the regional force if needs be.This has absolutely nothing to do with the SNP Scottish Government
I suspect the reality here is a contingent of Tory MP's wanting to spread more disinformation about their perceived dangers of an independent Scotland.
I'm surprised you would be so fickle with your voting intentions, based on an unsubstantiated comment in a gossip blawg... Do you truly feel the SNP would have you in a ghetto and forced to wear a yellow star? Yes, I know you qualified it with an IF, but really WW, one expects better from a solid chap. Hold fast old bean.
WW
What have the antics of the Strathclyde Polis got to do with the SNP?
Did the SNP instruct the border controls?
Silly man!
Ah good my 'fickle' comment caught your attention.
In my ham fisted way I was commenting on the flighty people who assert they will not vote for a certain party if the party does or doesn't do something they agree/disagree with. Often this is seen as a shallow commitment to their party of choice. Hence my surprise at your assertion of never voting SNP if this were true based on a dubious source.
Ah, you have recanted somewhat.
The Strathclyde Polis are not under the day to day control of the SNP government and would not have sought or even thought of asking permission of the SNP to do this. I think there are enough politically motivated fast track graduate polis to use this sort of thing for their personal betterment
Border control is a reserved matter so, if we are to assume that it was not the Border Control Gestapo it could have been the Special Branch and God knows to whom they are responsible.
The Police have routinely maintained a presence at Glasgow Airport and have checked incomers from Ireland, north and south, much to the apoplexy of a group of rugby supporters who were on the same flight as me.
You have no need to carry a passport within the UK. For internal flights there is a requirement to carry some form of Photo ID, and this has been for some time the case. A driving licence is acceptable and I was in the company of a farmer who used his shotgun licence as he had misplaced his driving licence and his passport was at an embassy awaiting a visa being issued. At the moment, I have the same situation where my passport is in the Chinese Embassy. I have a photocopy in colour in my wallet just in case.
Now checking passports on landing is a bit of a nonsense as hey must have been checked,or their equivalent must have been so at the embarkation point.
So why did, if it did, happen?
Could it have been the S Branch, probably.
Why were they up to?
Doing a dummy run probably to test the system should there be diverted international flights or Irish ones.
I suggest you write to the SNP Justice Minister and ask what the Hell was going on.
So you get off the plane, the filth ask to see your photo ID, they are too lazy or stupid to say the "acceptable photo ID according to relevant Act whatever" and you say I have lost my driving licence down the wheeshie toilet so are they going to deport you back to, err Luton?
I agree with your anger over the plod playing Gestapo but this is a Westmonster inspired bit of repressive nonsense. In fact, just like the British Transport Police stopping and searching at random people within railway station grounds. The Polis cannot do that in Scotland and the BT Police starting to creep their mandate onto the clockwork orange Underground until they were told by the SNP to get back in their box and stay on Railway property.
Not the SNPs fault this time, so don't be sore and go back south of Berwick. We would miss you.
Weasel I have to disagree with you.
You state "After all, this is not a police state."
Sorry when the police make up the law(s) we are infact a "Police State" the scottish police are very good at doing this counter to the rule of law from westminster.
Fire Force, I was using a bit of irony there. We are indeed, stumbling blindly into a police state.
WW politicians have no control - no control whatsoever - over police operational matters.
If they did you would actually be living in a police state.
You are correct to say that the Scottish Government has control over the justice system and therefore devolved policy matters which affect the police.
The Scottish Government does not however control anti-terror legislation or border control, both of which are reserved.
Strathclyde Police confirmed that their officers were acting under powers given to them by the Terrorism Act.
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