‘The empire strikes back in UK’

“There is an element of whoever you vote for the empire strikes back,” said Shami Chakrabarti, director of the civil rights group Liberty, as he maintained that the proposals were in direct contradiction to the claims that Britain is a democratic country.

The Big Brother Watch campaign group, which defends individual privacy and civil liberties, also launched a scathing attack on the proposed legislation saying “this is an unprecedented step.”

The proposals also drew criticism from within the Conservative party, reported Sky News.

“This is an unnecessary extension of the ability of the state to snoop on ordinary innocent people in vast numbers. Frankly, they shouldn’t have that power,” said David Davis, Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden.

According to the Sunday Times, the new legislation will be announced in next month’s Queen’s Speech. Under the legislation, internet companies would be required to install hardware which would allow the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the government’s electronic “listening” agency, to gain access to British people’s communications data.

The former Labour government was forced to abandon similar legislation in 2006 after the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats opposed the proposals.

However, this time, Britain’s Home Office has maintained that the measure was “vital” for the government to “protect the public.”

Despite criticisms from political parties and civil liberties groups, the Home Office has insisted that the law would be passed “as soon as parliamentary time allows.”

ISH/MB/HE

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