Secret State Setback

Just caught up on the rest of yesterdays news and realised that the much-needed Liberal Democrat amendment to the Coroners Bill was passed in the Lords last night. It shows how important it is to have an independent second chamber, one that looks carefully at the small print of proposed legislation and does something to correct the sneaky things that this Government tries. A clause to give the right to a government minister to stop an inquest (in public) and replace it with an inquiry (in secret) if there is sensitive information involved sounds as though it's straight from Orwell or worse. But no, this is a serious attempt by a political party in this country to hide the facts if they might damage the reputation of a public body like the police or nhs.
The government's response? "We'll take it back to the Commons" where of course the backbenchers elected as lobby fodder by our First Past the Post unfair voting system will push it through. Another nail in the coffin of transparent public service.
My father was so proud of the Labour party when I was growing up. It was the party of working people, standing up for them against the Tory Tyrants. I'm glad he's not here to see it now, rushing to outdo the Tories in how reactionary it can be.