As per the above few posts, this has also been reported by The Telegraph (on the right) and both the BBC and The Guardian (on the left), to name but a few sources.
For about last 5 years I've been becoming increadingly incensed at the way the country is heading, but over the last month or so, I've hit my breaking point. I've had enough. Long story, but I experienced first-hand around New Year how our civil liberties are being removed under the guise of 'protecting the populace', when there are far more suitable approaches that could be taken which would impact crime far more and yet leave the general populace to go about their business.
Why does anyone seem to think this is a good idea? Looking down on EVERYONE, invading EVERYONE's privacy, instead of targeting the actual criminals. The cops know who most of the troublemakers are, where they are, and what they do... so why not target them? Why not put them under surveillance? Why have drones and CCTV cameras watching all of us, when we aren't the ones causing the trouble? Why randomly stop and search people on the street, in the vague hope of reducing violent crime, when you could just mop up the well-known street gangs?
I'm through with the UK. There's a reason I left to go travelling in my gap year, there's a reason I'm enrolled on a study abroad scheme for my second year of university (I can carry a decent, useful folding knife on my person in Iceland, and as long as I don't cause trouble, no-one minds. Isn't that better than assuming I'm guilty because I have an interest in/use for knives? And I'm not constantly being observed under the assumption of guilt, and not having my privacy and liberties invaded almost constantly. It's quite refreshing.), and there's a reason I shall be doing my PhD abroad in a couple of years.
I want a way out of this country. It's in a downward spiral, and unfortunately the populace have become such a gigantic bunch of pussies that they either don't see it, or won't do anything about it.
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EDIT: As for the poster directly above, who claims we could become an exporter of drones, I believe the one being most seriously considered is a modified version of one already produced in the US. So that's unlikely. And even if we did begin to export them (and assuming they actually, y'know, work this time...), is the tiny amount of income generated by exporting a niche product going to balance the loss of freedom? Not in my mind.
Also, the one you linked to isn't the one being discussed at all. I believe those have been around for a few years now (see the publishing date - May 2007). These new ones will fly at approximately 20,000ft and are therefore almost invisible from the ground, and are much more similar to the ones employed in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.
