Anthony Barnett (London, OK): There are rare occasions when opinion columns become reporting and break a story. Is today's Nick Cohen 'Comment' one such? It is well worth a read. If what it seems to be saying is true then the Observer should have put more journalists onto it and given it a front page link as it signals all the 'deep state' developments that seem to have accellerated under New Labour. The implications seem to be this: enraged by police sergeant Mark Kearney warning his fellow officers not to illegally bug an MP and lawyer when he was talking to a terrorist suspect, the authorities are doing everything they can to harrass Kearney incuding at getting at those who have loved him, thus making an example of him and deterring any other equally law-abiding police officer who might object to the improper use of surveillance. To this end they have strip-searched and held in custody for 24 hours a 50 year old part-time reporter Sally Murrer, who has a disabled child, and who works for the nobly named Milton Keynes Citizen. She is now facing ridiculous charges for which she will be tried with Kearney next month. Cohen says that it is a "sinister assault on press freedom". If Murrer is found guilty,
there will be a precedent for imprisoning reporters for talking to contacts in the police, local authorities or central government without official approval.
But even if she isn't it seems that the warning will have been made: question the improper use of police powers if you are a junior police officer and your life will be made hell. There are important implications for the growth of the database state. It is only as good as those who run it.
