Winding down Control Orders

David Cameron has reiterated that Control Orders are to be scrapped. He told an audience in Leicester yesterday:

‘The control order system is imperfect. Everybody knows that. There have been people who’ve absconded from control orders. It hasn’t been a success. We need a proper replacement and I’m confident we’ll agree one.’

Whether the new arrangement will replace both the name and the letter of the law remains to be seen, but the government is expected to lessen some of the more severe elements of Control Orders.

When this story broke at the weekend, Cameron was happy to spin the reforms as a Lib Dem initiative, despite considerable Tory input. Not anymore. Facing the charge that the coalition had put Lib Dem security before national security, Cameron was explicit, saying:

‘It’s not about a victory for the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats. It’s about trying to do the right thing for our country, for the security of our country and our civil liberties.’