Police State Britain: Dorset cops destroy message calling for referendum

Some person this morning chose to write a message in the sand on the beach opposite the Labour Party Conference venue in Bournemouth (at about 11am apparently). By 1.20pm, just after the morning session of the conference had closed, and by complete coincidence (do you believe that? - I must admit I don't), six mounted cops walked in line along the beach, 'accidentally on purpose' destroying the embarrassing message. Read more here.

Very sinister, I'd say. Of course, this is the country where a woman who was simply reading out the names of the British military personnel who have been killed in Iraq, in front of the Cenotaph in London, was arrested (*). It is becoming increasingly clear that even peaceful dissent is no longer tolerated in this country by the 'forces of law and order' and our government.

(*) As regular readers here will know I strongly supported British involvement in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and our presence there since - but I believe in free speech, that's all. And in any case the lady was only reading out a list of names of brave men and women whose families have lost them forever; a respectful gesture I would have thought, however one may feel about the war. I also support strongly UK participation in the EU and whilst I am broadly supportive of further integration in Europe thought that both the now rejected Constitutional Treaty and the current Reform Treaty are not in our best interests for reasons I have written about here many times before, but even if I had been in favour of both think it is essential that the population is asked to confirm the decision the government wishes to take on our behalf without consulting us.