City AM — The Coronavirus Bill Is “Far Too Long for Such Extreme Powers”

The Coronavirus bill is the UK’s greatest loss of liberty in living memory.

It’s critical we protect public health — and critical we relentlessly protect the foundations of democracy we’ll return to.

Because when we get through this, and we will, we must reunite with the freedoms that define us.

Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch said:

“[The Coronavirus bill] is far too long for such extreme powers.

“We have emergency laws that come packaged with the appropriate safeguards. Instead the government has gone for a full bill that lasts two years, which means we are quite likely to see some of these powers in place for a long time.

“All of the powers combined have pretty much overnight incurred the greatest loss of liberty that we have ever had in this country. There is, of course, a good reason for this — we just have to make sure that the right protections are baked in.”

City AM — The Coronavirus Bill: Everything you need to know

City AM — Debate: Are the emergency powers granted to the government in the Coronavirus Bill too long-lasting?

Spiked — Coronavirus Bill: the greatest loss of liberty in our history

Business Insider — Privacy activists fear the UK might spy on its own citizens to tackle COVID-19. Here’s what we know.

Byline Times — The Coronavirus Crisis: Government to Introduce ‘Most Draconian Peacetime Powers Ever’

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