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Does anyone else think that Labour have introduced the law as a sneaky way to turn the country into a Republic?

Think about it: the main reason given for maintaining the Royals is that tourists like them. Yet this new law means you won't be able to take photos of any of the Royal sites because they are all guarded by police and members of the armed forces. E.g. photographing the changing of the guards will be a major no-no since it demonstrates protection for the Queen.

Therefore tourists will not want to visit Royal sites, and the monarchy can be abolished.

It's genius.

- Kate, London, UK, 17/02/2009 10:13
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Did it occur to them at the Police Federation that people would only be prosecuted if the police were idiotic enough to arrest them in the first place?

- Henry Gurwood, London, UK, 17/02/2009 10:06
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For ages now I have been writing to the Press about the "unfreedom" in Britain. Having had first-hand experience of life in the Communist Bloc, and particularly in East Germany, I see that by direct comparison, there is virtually no difference between Britain as is, and East Germany as was.Britain has become a police state in exactly the same way as Soviet Russia, China, and all of the Communist Countries were , and in most cases still are. All of this is modelled on the Gestapo practices of Nazi Germany, and once this kind or Regime takes over,usually the only way out is major confrontation within the Countrys' borders, (and often outside the borders). I fear it is already too late to stop the rot. Britons never shall be slaves? Ha.

- Ray King, Wood Green London, 17/02/2009 10:04
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Voting out the government will not arrest the torrent of draconian laws we are being beaten up with. The process of our imprisonment and loss of freedom is driven by forces way over the heads of politicians. Only the complete dissolution of our system and way of life will enable us to reclaim our freedom and privacy. That means getting rid of all forms of coercive control, government, monarchy and the banking system. It can be done; it will just take courage and righteous anger and what we have lost.

- Neil M., london uk,, 17/02/2009 09:40
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This kind of trite nonsense just shows the amateurishness of the outfit currently running the country. The longer they have remained in Government the clearer their banal laws have become. Let this law remain on the statute books for the time being to give people a constant reminder of the true legacy of this intellectually bankrupt Government- bog standard attempts at governing, slap dash efforts to bring forward intelligent policies and excruciatingly embarrassing pronouncements on all manner of topics that leave one ashamed to be British. Kick them out, and may they be out for a very long time.

- Richard, London, UK, 17/02/2009 08:55
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I remember being in Romania just after the revolution which overthrew Ceausescu's communist dictatorship and photographing a train without any problem. (Previously, I would have been arrested.)

Now, our once democratic country is slowly turning into a police state, but, at least on this occasion, the police themselves are against this latest attempt at controlling the British public.

The good news is, there'll be an election next year - unless, of course, the government have found a way to arrest the entire opposition on terror charges!

- Stephen, Sheffield, UK, 17/02/2009 01:10
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This is one more example of the crazy type of people
who lives in Britain, there is hardly any real joy of
freedon,

- Paul Satchell, Tenerife -Spain, 17/02/2009 01:02
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Welcome to London, we are watching you, we are following you, we are filming you, so YOU don't need your camera.

- Mr S.Port, London, 17/02/2009 00:36
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Does this mean that if I take a photo of the "changing of the guard" I could be prosecuted?

- Simons Mum, London England, 16/02/2009 23:38
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It is absurd!As a civilian I consider this law a power too much in the hands of the police and completely unwarranted. The police do a fine job but power corrupts. They are the servants of law and decency but this in the wrong hands could lead to easy corruption and a lack of accountability and in turn a lack of trust may be the result. We are all human and make mistakes and should a policeman be acting against the public then the public who see him do this may even get arrested and there is no more accountability! This new law is dangerous beyond belief.

- Lydia Stevenson, London, 16/02/2009 22:56
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The UK is rapidly becoming little more than an open prison as its predominantly law abiding citizens are now under constant CCTV surveillance, activities and details logged on ever more government databases, and ill judged repressive laws such as this are rushed in by Labour. The government need to remember that is has a duty to protect our freedoms not strip them away to make tackling terrorism easier.

- Steve, Herefud, 16/02/2009 21:32
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Sorry to give you the bad news folks but the terrorists have at least partly won. They have achieved at their objective by provoking a government response that restricts the lawful activities of citizens going about their normal lives. Sad but true

- Peter, Brisbane Australia, 16/02/2009 21:24
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Never ever forget it is your local MP that is allowing laws such as these to pass in parliament.

The people that propose them might be the dumbest of the dumbest, but be sure it was your local MP that approved it and allowed it into law – So what I you going to do about it.

- Ian, Reading, England, 16/02/2009 19:36
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How stupid,considering the gun crime and knife crime etc in London they bring in a law like this.We must get rid of this hideous nuLabour government before thay drive us all to distraction with there crass stupidity.Idiots pure and simple.

- Kev, London-UK, 16/02/2009 19:02
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A few years ago, we all had a good laugh when Greece arrested some 'brits' for plane spotting,now Labours new laws seem to want the whole world laughing at us.

- Slightly Jaded N London., uk, 16/02/2009 19:00
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People tend to forget that the UK Government can pass any laws no matter how stupid or unenforceable.

- Brian Edmonds, Farnham UK, 16/02/2009 18:31
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Last year I was stopped by the CRS in france at the local fayre and was told it was illegal to photograph them.When I agreed to erase their photos they let me go with a handshake

- Terry, Hennebont France, 16/02/2009 18:17
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I take photos every day, this law could ruin my career.

- Jon Tooth, Bristol Side, 16/02/2009 17:57
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How very stupid of Mr Plod, who seems to be getting his own way like some spoiled child !

If I was a terrorist, I would take any photographs & video footage I wanted - with discreet hidden cameras widely available on the market.

I feel scared, every time I see a plod with a gun - yet I am a law abiding citizen, living in Central London & I have never seen any crimes on the street which warrant the use of such weapons.

Get back to policing Mr Plod and stop trying to be some super spy - intelligence, where the police are concerned is a contradiction in terms !

- Kathy Doyle, London, 16/02/2009 17:15
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The sheer crass stupidity of this legislative mad Government defys beleief. They time and time again in their madness to cover everything and consider nothing ends in a utter slough of unworkable and indefensible laws. Jaquie Smith the most useless of the lot. WE are in the hands power crazy meglomaniacs

- Peter French, Orihuela Costa Spain, 16/02/2009 16:46
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"protest about something useful like getting police to carry guns." - it is possible to protest about more than one thing, you know. Maybe these people will protest against both?

- Richard, London UK, 16/02/2009 16:39
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Drip, drip, drip, the police state arrives by stealth, under the noses of the people, while they watch telly and play computer games.

- Neil M., london uk,, 16/02/2009 16:30
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Watch the videos on YouTube of London PCSOs and "real" officers physically attacking photographers for using video cameras or taking pics in public. It's utterly shocking, the thin end of a wedge when it comes to their total disregard for the law.

- Steven Davidson, Colchester, England, 16/02/2009 16:18
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Well done to the Police Federation for supporting this!
Much of the perceived mischief of the Act actually derives from the stop notice procedure, which turns "may I look in your bag please" into a ridiculously bureaucratic, time-consuming procedure, unpopular with police and public alike.

Let's have a return to commonsense!

- Simon, LONDON, 16/02/2009 16:09
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The good thing about this is that the police themselves are, by and large, against it. Peter Smyth's comments are very welcome. As a former Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority (the body that holds the Met to account), I was often pleasantly surprised in my time on the Authority that the police themselves were concerned about laws which appeared to give them greater powers but which were, in fact, more likely to bring them into conflict with law abiding people. Badly drafted supposed anti-terror laws, open to interpretation, will be misinterpreted and often on purpose - just look at the terror laws which have been used by local authorities to snoop on people for other things.

- Damian Hockney, london, UK, 16/02/2009 15:41
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protest about something useful like getting police to carry guns.

- Joe, London, 16/02/2009 15:32
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that being the case, can we turn off the cctv cameras as they breach my human rights and lay me open to government and police terror threats against me.

- Mike O'Brien, london.uk., 16/02/2009 15:27
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Does this mean I'll be arrested for taking a picture of Nelsons column? after all he was a member of the armed forces. This law stinks and has the pungent pawmarks of ZaNuLab all over it. Yet another ludicrous law from 'spare-room' Jacqui the worst home secretary in history!

- Ed, Hants, 16/02/2009 15:15
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