Nov 05 2009
Bonfire night
Today we recall an attempted terrorist attack four hundred years ago. The chilling plan to murder the King in Parliament, seeking to wipe out the whole political establishement, was foiled by excellent intelligence work. The secret service of the early seventeenth century was hot, intercepting communications and picking up rumours from opposition forces likely to turn to violence. They did not stop Guido Fawkes and the other conspirators by going to war in far away Catholic countries. They did not stop them by placing more physical barriers around the Lords and Commons, nor by searches of people coming in and out. Their successful anti terrorist policy depended on eavesdropping and surveilliance of the people most likely to be Catholic terrorists.
We remember the 5th of November because it so shocked contemporary Britain and was deliberately kept alive through linking the commemoration to an enjoyable winter festival or fire and fireworks. The more successful terrorist plot to bomb the British political establishment of 1984, where three were killed and several injured, has not mothered a similar act of national memory. This reflects the different political mood of the time.
It would be a fitting memorial on this November 5th if the government moved in the direction recommended by Kim Howells. He has suggested saving the money we are currently spending on fighting a war in Afghanistan, and spending some of it instead on better surveillance of potential terrorists at home. I would add we could also usefully improve our border controls to exclude people who might be a threat to the public.
10 Responses to “Bonfire night”
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
John agree with your last paragraph, but this action will only stand a chance of working if we have full control of a sensible immigration policy that suits the UK, not the EU or anyone else.
Our borders compare pretty badly with those of Bahrein, Thailand, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Why should we fill our coutnry with people who loathe and despise us? And people who have paid nothing into the Welfare State yet who hang on it? So your last sentence says it all.
However my wife assures me that the shops here are still full of fireworks.
Pleased to see that you support the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan. Eminent and armchair historians, as well as those who believe that Britain should lower their world profile, have said our involvement was a disaster from day one – remember “Dr.” Reid with one of the many Nulabour soundbites – “without a shot being fired”. How there hasn’t been a rebellion on the floor of the Commons is a massive indictment on our parliamentary system – forget expenses this is the real and tragic scandal.
I can only say “Hear hear!”
Here’s another parallel: Guy Fawkes’ confession was extracted by savage torture and it now turns out that the British establishment is happy to receive intelligence obtained from torture, and to allow use of its facilities by third parties to send people to countries where they will be tortured. This is a proven matter of fact and has been raised in commons committee, and nobody at all seems to care. Little has changed in 400 years.
Off topic a bit.
I have just been informed by a client of an Interesting comment by the Health and Safety officer for Ilfracombe Council on Radio Two, Jerry Vine show today.
Ilfracombe usually have a big public bonfire, but this year they will be showing a film of a bonfire on a giant screen instead of the real thing, as fires are dangerous.
Seems it is now a surprise to the Council that people are asking for their money back !!!!!
I could not believe that this was true, but am assured by my client it is not a joke, although I still find it difficult to believe.
Taking this further, perhaps we should show a film of our troops training to the Taliban on a big screen in the hope that they may give up, because fighting is dangerous.
What planet are these people on, why do we have to put up with such absolute stupidity. Who in their right mind thinks this is a sensible idea.
This John just shows how far this Country has gone down the tubes, and why so many of us are getting more and more angry.
They (intelligence services) also tortured quite a few people.
I’m inclined to agree that the troops should all come home. The Afghans are not worth fighting for. In a land awash with assault weapons, any man can (punish-ed) another man’s wife and (treat) his kids (badly-ed)
We should leave them with nowt but a promise of the retribution that will be visited upon them, should they ever allow their territory to be used for attacks on the western world again.
Look at this from Reuters, sign of the times?
http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2009/11/05/is-it-time-to-give-guy-fawkes-a-break/
They also relied heavily on informants – which is a salutory lesson of the need to find friendly voices in the community where the threat originates.
I can’t help but feel that the extremity of some of the measures that have been taken – like virtual house arrest – greatly lessens the number of potential friends we might find. Imagine being devotedly loyal to the country first and foremost, and then finding that your spouse couldn’t move to be with you because of an ill-founded immigration policy. Or that someone you know had had their phone tapped (regardless of whether it was justified or not). Before long, you might find your views changing.
Hopefully, an incoming Tory Government would start to rescind some of this ghastly legal apparatus that has been erected over the last decade. So, yes, commemorate bonfire night in both the spirit of the victory it represents, but also in the freedoms it helped to guarantee.