Civil liberties groups expressed concerns that the act could be used in the future by a government with malign intent. Tony Bunyan, editor of Statewatch, described the powers as truly draconian. He said: "Cities could be sealed off, travel bans introduced,
all phones cut off, and websites shut down. Demonstrations could be banned and the news media made subject to censorship. New offences against the state could be 'created' by government decree.
"This is Britain's Patriot Act. At a stroke democracy could be replaced by totalitarianism."
http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...tingencies-act