"Britons would trade civil liberties for security" posted by Meaders

(posted by Meaders)

So says the Guardian headline, based on an ICM poll finding 73% of us would give up our civil liberties to "protect against terrorist attacks". Marginally more people are now satisfied with Tony Blair than dissatisfied. Civil liberties be dammned: the British public back their police and their Prime Minister.

Scratch just a little, however, and a different story appears. (The ICM's report is available here, as a PDF file.)

First, the headline question asked: it's biased. "Do you think it is right or wrong to lose some civil liberties to improve our security against terrorist attacks?"

This presupposes that the loss of civil liberties will improve security. That's debatable, and the case still has to be made. The question leads the respondent to answer in a certain way. Ask someone if they would rather lose a few minor rights, or be blown up on the tube, and you can almost guarrantee the answer. The fact that nearly a quarter of respondents saw through the bias is itself impressive.

The apparently rock-solid support for Blair's measures starts to wobble when specific measures are presented.

Forty-five per cent would support the banning of radical Islamist organisations "even if they don't advocate violence". Thirty-one percent oppose, with a great crowd inbetween that are uncertain or unbothered.

Forty per cent want judges to continue to "protect our civil liberty" against fifty-two per cent who think judges "should not overturn" Draconian legislation. That slender majority is within the usual margin of error, as is Blair's positive popularity rating.

Finally, as the Guardian says, "The poll was carried out before this week's revelations about inaccuracies in the initial police account of the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes."

The picture is not rosy. The combination of genuine fear, and an overwhelming government and media barrage have eaten away at popular support for democratic rights. But it has not been replaced by a significant support for the government's measures: beneath the headline figures, the situation is fluid, with significant minorities remaining opposed and no clear majorities for the government on the most critical issues.

When ID cards were first announced to, amongst other things, combat terrorism, opinion polls reported majorities in favour. As the costs of the scheme emerged, balanced against its lack of clear benefits, public support dwindled. The same can happen to this clampdown: from declaring themselves to be leading a "different mood" , New Labour can be very rapidly brought low. There is a real political battle on now to defend some of our basic freedoms. Events like the Stop the War demonstration for civil liberties can be decisive in turning public opinion and blocking the government's plans.