Basher for Liberty news 15

So here it is, the fifteenth round up of what's happening on the civil liberties front. Lots of people trying to attach their pet causes to the campaign, lots of jostling for party political advantage.

The debate

A trio of posts at Comment is Free: Guy Herbert makes the case for privacy as the basis of civil liberties, John Kampfner talks about Singapore style repression without ever seeming to condemn it, and Geoff Cahill tries to sell us on the alleged virtues of the RIPA Act (not an easy task).

And more today: Diane Abbott says hooray for freedom from arbitrary arrest but she'd like more money for black people. I refer the right honourable lady to the comments I made some moments ago about not conflating two different issues. 

Meanwhile Guy Damann says that liberty is nothing without compassion for others. I refer the right honourable gentleman to the comments I made some moments ago.

The campaign

David Cameron visited H&H to support Davis' campaign. Were his teeth gritted, we wonder?

Tory members don't support Davis' resignation, but seem to support his stance.

Council House Tory reckons the media are lettting the civil liberties issue drop.

The rest

Strong evidence that Keith Vaz's vote on 42 days was bought. Gordon Brown is still denying it.

Boulton & Co says that Vaz's claims that Sky didn't want a debate between the government and Davis because they would have had to give equal time to the other candidates is not true. In fact, Downing Street refused to put up a candidate.

Stephen Tall wonders how the LibDems can get a party political advantage from l'affaire DD.  You would have thought civil liberties would be the priority, wouldn't you?