Two Tribes: Private Good, Public Bad

Theresa May made a strong play to the Police federation today, calling for the end of paperwork, the return of operational responsibility, improved focus on detection, less interference from central government, letting the police charge people for crimes and recognising the need for local accountability. The applause was warm from an audience more used to putting their hands on other people than together. At the same time Nick Clegg was flying his civil liberty credentials and promising the end of ID cards, regulation of DNA records, and the partial removal of CCTV and other intrusive interventions to our lives. These two events could have been taking place in separate countries, the lack of synergy between the two statements was palpable as soon became apparent.

The Police federation pointed out that detection rates were at their highest levels not least because of IDs for immigrants, CCTV in places of high crime risk and the DNA database. All of which would be damaged if Mr Clegg pursued his policies. It is one of the dilemmas of a democratic society; the need for individual privacy but also the protection and entitlement of the wider community by the responsible collection of personal information.

It seems rather hypocritical to reduce the controlled collection of personal information by the state when our activities are increasingly violated by banks, credit agencies, social networking sites, internet providers and traders who are actively involved in selling on our addresses and preferences to others. Junk mail and emails are the daily flotsam of the way the private sector collects and abuses our personal data for profit. The state, be it the police, inland revenue or councils, are generally collecting personal data to ensure that we get our entitlements and the vulnerable are protected from risk. Is this not more socially and economically ethical than what health insurance companies, credit agencies, online retailers, and social networks are up to? If so think more carefully Mr. Clegg, you are making an assumption of private good, public bad - but perhaps that is what the emerging coalition is all about.