The Enabling Act (Ermächtigungsgesetz in German) was passed by Germany's parliament (the Reichstag) on March 23, 1933. It was the second major step after the Reichstag Fire Decree through which the Nazis obtained dictatorial powers using largely legal means. The Act enabled Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag.
-- Enabling Act, wikipedia
Having written to Mr R. Gale (my MP) I have gotten a reply. I asked him for his views on the subject but instead I got copies of the current paperwork on the topic.
I shall have to assume that this means that he is calling a safety and not voicing an opinion.
"...you will note that Her Majesty's opposition - which of course I am a member - made stringent efforts to oppose the offensive sections of the Bill but the government has of course used its majority to force many measures through..."
Roger Gale MP
He claims that the Labour party used it's majority to force the issue. This "majority" is so slight that they require the support of the Conservative party to be sure to get a bill through (especially if the "back benchers" revolt).
So what's going on here? Have Labour suddenly found power that commentary has over looked or are the big three secretly in favour of this bill?
Mr Gale voted against the Bill during it's third reading on 16 May 2006 (He also voted against ID cards on 16 & 21 Mar 2006).
I doubt, then, that this issue of what is happening on a party political scale reflects directly on Mr Gale but it gives me cause to worry nonetheless.
Catch up on the issues here and here. This article contains substansive text taken from another article by the same author found here.
