By monitoring pensioner bank accounts, Tories are ushering in ‘surveillance society’
Big Brother: the Tories have given themselves the power to monitor bank accounts of pensioners and benefit claimants – so they can keep you poor? It is a breach of your human right to a private life.
Last week, the Tory government rushed an amendment to its Data Protection and Digital Information Bill through the House of Commons that means future UK governments will be able to look into the bank accounts of anybody claiming a pension – in a major step towards mass financial surveillance of the poor.
This is an infringement of our human rights – and indeed a breach of the Human Rights Act (the right to a private life).
Here’s Stephen Timms:
You are right Stephen. Govt is putting people, mainly the poor, under mass financial surveillance. The worse thing is that Labour did not oppose. Chris Bryant, speaking for Labour, said “We support the Bill” and all Labour MPs abstained. There was no promise to repeal. https://t.co/oK2li69UcC
— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) December 4, 2023
Sir Stephen also said: “Why is the government bringing these powers forward now, with zero scrutiny? The state has always had powers concerning benefits fraud, this proposal for surveillance when there is no suspicion at all, is a substantial expansion of the state’s power to intrude.”
He added: “The amendment gives the government extremely broad powers, with no checks in place, and it’s being done in a way that minimises parliament scrutiny. And I find it hard to see how it can be defended.”
You can read the full debate here.
Reactions have been negative – and rightly so:
They’re planning a surveillance state.
This means they’ll be able to go into anyone’s bank account. How will their core voters – pensioners- feel about being spied on by the Tories?!
Also it’s against the human rights act “the right to a private life”. https://t.co/e9UTKcW92l
— Judy Hamilton (@secretspartacus) December 4, 2023
It ties in with an issue This Site raised, not very long ago, about the government using digital currency to control what we have and what we spend.
The Bill already gave the government power to examine the bank accounts of benefit claimants – ostensibly to determine whether they are committing fraud.*
Strangely, it doesn’t provide power to examine the bank accounts of the people who have the very best benefit system in the UK…
Millionaire govt ministers have the very best welfare system, while everyone else gets a heavily policed pittance – parliamentary expenses claims. They get housing costs, 2nd home costs, decorating costs, heating costs, subsidised food ect. Their bank accounts should be policed.
— Revolution Breeze (@SueJonesSays) December 4, 2023
This Site can only draw attention to this erosion of your rights; it is up to you to do something about it. Are you going to?
*Isn’t it strange that Tory governments never give themselves power to examine the bank accounts of the super-rich, to see if they’re cheating on their tax returns? Tax fraud dwarfs benefit fraud yet the Tories seem to be blind to it.
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Seeking moral support, please, to get my posts published on Facebook page by OCISA, so Starmer’s Labour can be voted out at next general government and OCISA / From Babe to Over 50s party brand name can form the government and ensure state pension becomes a human right and National Insurance turns only into a mutual, people owned National Insurance pension scheme. Never again called a benefit. Lowered worker NI contributions for working class and more for top waged / rich.
Please contact through website http://www.over50sparty.org.uk
THE NAZ WHOOPS ,THE NASTY PARTY IN ACTION
As usual the fascist tories ensure their bloated wealth is protected because no way must the state be allowed to peruse wealthy men’s bank accounts! Tax fraud? Why only the peasants engage in tax fraud not the male owned corporate bodies because they must be allowed to continue to hide their bloated profits and ensure they are not taxed!
Very clever policy being enacted by the fascist tories giving them the right to scrutinise impoverished retired women’s and men’s bank accounts because no way must these individuals have right to claim their entitlement from the fascist state! Remember the state pension is a benefit and if the fascist tories can ‘prove’ (sic) someone has falsely claimed a benefit they will be prosecuted to full extent of the fascist tory laws!