about it) but political. It will help create a witch-hunt atmosphere in this country against the Irish community and all supporters of the struggle of the Irish people. Certainly those who busied themselves denouncing Wegal immigrants after the House of Lords ruling that the Immigration Act was retrospective will now have a field day turning in 'IRA members.
This section could become faz more dangerous if Jenkins or some future Home Secretary decides to add to the list of "proscribed' organisations. The new law allows him to ban "any organisation that appears to him to be concerned in terrorism occurring in the United Kingdom and connected with Northern Irish affairs, or in promoting or encosraging it." (our emphasis). This clause is so open-ended that it allows the Government, through the Home Secretary to freely ban any group that opposes its Irish policy.
in the short team the most dangerous sections are those that allow the police to hold suspects for lengthy periods of time without laying charges, and permit the Home SecreWhile Labour brings in repressive legislation, which could be used against the labour movement, the two Shrewsbury pickets rot in jail. With a 'soclalist government like this, who needs a right-wing administration !
from British soil.
At the moment the police have no legal power at all to detain anyone for questioning but in practice magistrates allow them to hold a suspect for 24 hours before insisting that charges are laid. The new las both clearly establishes and extends the powers of the police. They can now bold someone whom they suspect of being involved in terrorist activitics for up to 48 hours at will, and for five days more with the approval of the Home Secretary.
TWO PROVISIONS In practice there will be little difTerence between these two provisions, since the Home Secretary will have to hase his decision on the recommendations of the police. So, as long as they don't overdo it, the police can now keep a prisoner in custody for a week without any worries.
According to a former colonial security officer' quoted in last Suntary to excludo suspocted torrorists" day's Observer, this is the minimum zens if they weren't born here or baven't lived here for at least 20 years, and can he used to ship people who come from the north of Ireland out of Britain even though the Government claims it is all part of the "United Kingdom'.
Anyone who has any illusions EnS Le Ban Count Da COC Good sense of Roy Jenkins and the Labnur Government to see that these sweeping powers are used in mode ration is dreaming. The Labour Government proved itself in the past quite willing to go to whetever extremes necessary to defend the interests of British imperialisn But Labour's hand is not even firmly on the throttle this time. It was not an accident that Roy Jenkins, when pressed in the House of Commons about the exact meaning of certain of the more complex parts of 'his" law, had to admit that he didn't know what they meant! Nor that Labour's legal brain, Attorney General Sam Silkin, could only mumble that he 'agreed with the Home Secretary'. As the Ohserner revealed on Sunday, these laws were ago hy a committee of Home Office civil servants just what is written in it, but the fact that it will be seen an a gruen light to the forces of the statethe police and the courts in particular to launch a massive witch hunt ing to worry about resistance from the Labour Government.
high-gear right away. For a while they will play it cool, Jest too sudwithin the labour movement and if the labour movement does not begin to display opposition to this move. That is why it is extremely argent that a massive campaign aguinst the law is opened up now.
WILLIAM CRAIG, Ulster Unionist MP, Bellast East: "You may raly on our support for the speedy passage of the propGERRY FITT, Socil Democratic &