Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has promised the "biggest shake-up of our democracy" in 178 years as he sets out plans for political reform.

This would include scrapping the ID card scheme and accompanying National Identity Register, all future biometric passports and the children's Contact Point Database and ensuring CCTV was "properly regulated" and restricting the storage of innocent people's DNA.

Mr Clegg added: "This government is going to persuade you to put your faith in politics once again."

He said differences between the Lib Dems and Conservatives were "almost impossible to spot" when it came to wanting to decentralise power.

He added: "We don't, unlike Labour, believe that change in our society must be forced from the centre. Unlike the previous Labour government, we're not insecure about relinquishing control."

For Labour, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson - whose experience includes stacking shelves in Tesco ! - accused Mr Clegg of using "rampant hyperbole" when talking about surveillance

Good speech. Big step in the right direction.

Lets see whether they can change things enough to make people feel as if they are still free....

Thank goodness Labour are no more - they would have made the UK a Big Brother state with knobs on !