From Henry Porter in yesterday’s Observer.

Look no further than the news of recent days to know why the Convention on Modern Liberty, launched last week in London by Baroness Kennedy, is so critical and is inspiring such support. As co-director, I would naturally talk it up, but many have been struck by the contrast – actually, I would say lunatic hypocrisy – in a government where you have a foreign secretary who, swooning for Obama, called for Britain to champion the rule of law and “uphold our commitments to human rights and civil liberties at home” and a justice secretary who a few hours before had announced measures in the Coroners and Justice Bill (a tricksy little portmanteau if ever there was one) that will bring in secret inquests and legalise a vast exchange of personal data between government departments.

Convention is on February 28, at venues around the country. See the web site for details. You can also follow it on Twitter.