Spooks' crime licence attenuated, but not enough

The local party website recently reported that Lib Dem peers were intent on removing the worst aspects of the government Bill which would give our spooks licence to commit crime. Mark Pack now confirms that 

Liberal Democrat peers have helped to pass cross-party amendments to the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, as the number of Government defeats on the controversial new law rose to four.

A cross-party amendment (Amendment 15), co-sponsored by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Paddick, places limits on the types of crimes that can be authorised under the Bill – ruling out murder, torture and sexual assault. It was passed by 299 votes to 284.

No mention is made of drug offences. One can see incentive for under-cover officers to get involved in handling illegal narcotics etc. when investigating drug gangs, but as a recent documentary shows, there are dangers in allying with drug barons for other reasons. The United States made this mistake twice, in Sicily in 1944 and during her campaigns in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, resulting in the drug pandemic which gripped the States thereafter. 

We have bad trouble with illegal drugs already. If the UK electorate is not yet ready to accept decriminalisation, then nothing should be done to make trafficking easier.