Government moves on DNA retention - slightly

News this morning that the Home Office is proposing to erase innocent people from the DNS database after 12 years. This follows a ruling from the European Court last year that stated the current policy of indefinite retention was unlawful.

While it has to be acknowledged that the government has moved on the issue, it has, as ever, done so with the greatest reluctance. The court specifically pointed to Scottish policy as the best way of doing things. There, DNA profiles are deleted after three years, with a further two years allowed with the permission of a judge. The UK government's proposed 12-year limit acknowledges the European Court's ruling in only the slightest, most begrudging way possible.

This is typical behaviour for our supremely arrogant government, which petulantly refuses to acknowledge its mistakes, even when ruled against in a court of law. The most recent example of this is, of course, the Gurkhas, where the government was forced by the court to change the residency rules for Gurkhas wishing to stay in the UK, so made proposals that would allow as few in as possible. Other examples include the half-assed measures to make up for the 10p tax rate debacle which still left hundreds of thousands of the poorest people worse off, refusal to accept any responsibility for the current economic mess and how Gordon brownhad to be dragged kicking and screaming into an unconvincing apology over the Damian McBride affair.

Sadly, it seems we're going to have to put up with this behaviour for another 364 days, but on 6th May 2010 the electorate will deliver a verdict Labour cannot ignore.