Free as a bird?

With the imminent imposition of digital ID and the loss of the right to a jury hearing in some cases, a trend that has been happening all my life seems to be speeding up.  There's also the issue of the police using facial recognition and that fact that the UK is almost a surveillance society (2nd only to China, by some estimates).

So my first question is what freedoms have we lost since WWII?  I asked copilot to tell me.

Here's what it found:

Quick Answer: Since WWII, several rights in the UK have been restricted or removed, often in response to security concerns, industrial relations, or political shifts. Key examples include limits on trade union powers (1970s–1980s), detention without trial under anti-terror laws (2001 onward), curbs on protest rights (2005–2022), and surveillance expansions (2000s–2010s).

📜 Major Rights Removed or Restricted Since WWII

Period	Law/Policy	Rights Affected	Context
1945–1950s	Emergency wartime powers continued briefly	Freedom of movement & association	Post-war rationing and national security concerns
1971	Immigration Act 1971	Right of Commonwealth citizens to settle freely	Ended automatic settlement rights for many Commonwealth migrants
1979–1990s (Thatcher era)	Employment Acts (1980, 1982, 1988, 1990)	Trade union rights, right to strike	Restricted closed shops, secondary picketing, and union political activity
2000	Terrorism Act 2000	Freedom of association & protest	Broadened definition of terrorism, allowed banning of organizations
2001	Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act	Habeas corpus (detention without trial)	Allowed indefinite detention of foreign nationals suspected of terrorism
2005	Prevention of Terrorism Act	Freedom of movement	Introduced “control orders” restricting suspects’ movements without trial
2011	Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act	Right to protest near Parliament	Restricted demonstrations around Westminster
2016	Investigatory Powers Act (“Snooper’s Charter”)	Privacy rights	Legalized bulk surveillance and data retention
2022	Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act	Right to protest	Gave police powers to restrict protests deemed “too noisy” or disruptive

⚖️ Key Themes in Rights Removal

• Trade Union & Labour Rights: The UK moved from strong collective bargaining after WWII to significant restrictions under Thatcher, reshaping industrial relations.
• Immigration & Settlement: Commonwealth citizens lost automatic settlement rights in 1971, marking a major rollback of post-imperial freedoms.
• Anti-Terror Legislation: From 2000 onward, terrorism laws curtailed civil liberties, including detention without trial, control orders, and expanded surveillance.
• Protest & Assembly: Laws in 2005, 2011, and 2022 progressively narrowed the scope of lawful protest, especially near Parliament and in public spaces.
• Privacy & Surveillance: The Investigatory Powers Act entrenched state surveillance, reducing individual privacy protections. 

🧭 Contextual Notes

• Many restrictions were responses to crises: terrorism (IRA, 9/11, London bombings), industrial unrest, or migration pressures.
• Rights were often balanced against security or order, but critics argue these measures eroded fundamental freedoms.
• The UK’s reliance on parliamentary sovereignty (no codified constitution) means rights can be curtailed more easily than in countries with entrenched constitutional protections.

In summary: Since WWII, the UK has removed or restricted rights mainly in four areas—labour rights, immigration, protest, and privacy/security—with landmark changes in the 1970s (union restrictions), 2000s (anti-terror laws), and 2010s–2020s (protest and surveillance powers).

American Christmas: Worst and Best of America

Have car will travel.  So we went to Montgomery, about 1 hours drive from Auburn.  Montgomery was the focus for the Civil Rights movement.  I put 400 Washington Avenue into the GPS and off we went.  South on I85.  An uneventful drive - just what I wanted. Montgomery is the state capital, which makes the story that follows even more remarkable.  We were headed for the Southern Poverty Law Centre.  It has a memorial to those who died in the struggle for equality.  The memorial is outside, a slate grey stone disk with the names of the victims carved into the top.  Water rises from the center of the disk and flows over the sides.  The bible verse "Amos 5:24 - We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." provides the theme.  The first problem was parking. The meter takes quarters (25 cent piece), one for 30 minutes.  I found out how long by putting one - the only one we had - in the meter. AM I SUPPOSED TO JUST KNOW?  We got some more quarters from the the guy on the entry desk and returned to the meter.  Inside the memorial are the stories of the victims, and a video presentation.  We were the only people in the museum at the start of our visit.  I put my name on the justice wall.  One of the computers was showing the desktop, not the wall of names, it had an unlicensed copy of windows - in a law centre dedicated to justice!!  We walked around the area and saw the church and some of the City buildings.  Then we drove to the remains of the bus station    We were given the tour, inside instead of out because of the cold wind.  Again we were the only people there. It is an arts centre with various exhibits reflecting on the movement and the struggle.  Not the outcome though, the struggle is not over. The to get lunch.  We were recommended Isaiahs.  It was closed for the holidays.  We found another place to head for but we were 12 miles away back on I85.  We left at junction 3 and stopped at Captain D's.  We had the two piece fish meal - two pieces of deep fried fish two hush-puppies  (corn balls deep fried) over cooked, over salted green beans and steamed broccoli.  We were served by a typical UK McDonald's employee. No chat, just attitude.
We returned to the city centre and the Rosa Parks Library.  We parked in the Plaza - we were the only people there.  No photos we were told many times as the only two in the video theatre.  This is a really good exhibition, with re-enactment of the events on the bus, the cars that were used in the bus boycott and the actual letters Dr King wrote.  Again personal attention by an enthusiastic guide.

Thoughts
Montgomery - is a ghost town, where are the people?  Tumbleweed!
Just as in Northern Ireland, some of the crimes committed have not been investigated properly.  That should happen - there is no statute of limitations on murder, or shouldn't be.
Civil Rights movement - should never have been required, but as it was we can only be impressed and inspired by their non-violent approach.  I remember hearing about it as a child, but not really understanding what was happening.  Now I have a better understanding.  This area suffered from extreme prejudice, similar to apartheid in South Africa, and it was overcome without a terrorist campaign - rest of the world take note.

In the evening we went to Hamiltons an up-market restaurant in Auburn, with friends of Karen & Robert. I had the Tuna - the best tuna I have ever eaten - by far.  Good food & good company makes for a great evening.

Things I like about America - in no particular order 
Lemonade that tastes of lemons
Refills
Restaurant service

Things I don't like about America - in no particular order
The assumption that people know what is required.
Tourist information is there but hard to access, heritage is not well served.
Too much ice, too little drink (UK dislike too)

Worst and best of America
The reaction to Captain D's back at home was well below 'not impressed', so that would qualify as the worst.
The treatment of the Freedom Riders was appalling and really is the worst.
Hamilton's must rate as the best - service, food all great.
The people who guided us were the best, as were the Freedom Riders themselves.

spolier - it gets better tomorrow.