"Right For Clarke's Policies To Go, But Reshuffle Won't Give Us Our Freedoms Back"- Öpik

2.40.37pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 5th May 2006

Commenting on the Government reshuffle today, Lembit Öpik, MP for Montgomeryshire and Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said:

"It was right for Charles Clarke to go, but replacing Clarke won't do anything if the policy agenda remains the same. This Home Office has introduced more restrictions on our liberties than any other Government since World War Two.

"If John Reid intends to give us our freedoms back, it's a good appointment, but the champagne corks won't be popping at Amnesty international just yet.

"The anti-terror legislation introduced in Charles Clarke's reign have been a meaningless disaster. Unless John Reid takes a different view to police reform, ID Cards and detention without trial, this change will be no change at all.

"This desperate reshuffle, just hours after the Government's third place in the local elections, is clearly an attempt to arrest the news stories about Labour's poor showing.

"I'm not surprised. After all, three out of four electors are now voting against Labour, which is even worse than last year's General Election when only two out of three voted against the Government. No amount of shuffling is a substitute for walking with a purpose."