Tom Griffin (London, The Green Ribbon): The final day of the Howden and Haltemprice by election campaign sees David Davis being joined by an eclectic band of supporters.
As well as OK's own Anthony Barnett, Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews is among those who have travelled to the constituency. In an article for the Yorkshire Post, Marshall Andrews outlines an encounter with the Labour Chief Whip convinced him that New Labour authoritarianism is a consistent theme that transcends the threat of terrorism
I had been invited to her room to discuss my my persistent failure to support the Government on legislation concerning human rights. It was not an unfriendly meeting. I expressed the view that the continued and continuous erosion of individual and political freedom would prove disastrous at the ballot box.
She smiled wearily with disbelief. "People in my constituency don't give a damn about civil liberties," she said. There were three depressing things about this statement. The first is the remote possibility that it may be true. The second is that she firmly believes it is true and the third is that she obviously approves of it. In her view the collective indifference of her constituents chimes precisely and accurately with Government policy.
Tomorrow, the people of Haltemprice and Howden will have an opportunity to say for themselves whether they 'give a damn about civil liberties.' Whatever happens, David Davis deserves credit for giving them that opportunity.
