Defending the ‘database state’
Michael Cross writes on the Guardian Comment is Free web site:
My award for bravest attendee at last month’s Convention on Modern Liberty goes to David Varney. As the prime minister’s special adviser on “service transformation” – official-speak for joining up the data that government agencies hold on us – he’s one of the architects of the “database state”. It’s fair to say that, of the 1,500 people in the hall for the opening plenary session, 1,499 vehemently opposed the idea.
Turning such an audience around would have defied Disraeli. Unsurprisingly, Varney failed. However it’s worth looking at what he said if we’re to understand where the debate should go from here.
