Question regarding the UK terror alert system

This question is primarily for people who live in Britain, anyone can answer but I think someone who lives in England or Scotland would probably know more about it.
After the airport incident the terror alert was raised to "critical", which is the highest level on the terror alert scale. As most people know, the US has a color coded system (lame)



We have been to Orange quite a few times but to my knowledge it has never been raised to Red. My question is, how does the highest terror alert level effect the daily lives of an average citizen in G.B.?
The reason I'm curious is because there are so many rumors about what will happen when our terror alert level is raised to Red.
For example. Civil Rights being severely restricted or abolished all together.-
Martial Law across the country- Citizens being rounded up and placed in FEMA (or some other agency's)
Internment Camps
Warrantless phone taps, email and internet tracking, visual surveillance and or vehicle tracking, etc... Of course these are all rumors and hearsay.
However, since the UK surveillance system seems to be the model that the US follows, I was hoping to get an idea of what may happen here, if raised to Red by observing what the UK does while they are at their highest level.





[edit on 6/30/2007 by Kr0n0s]

I think its just a step up in security across the country , airports etc , probably more police patrols and more for the public to be alert to suspicious activity etc

Oh come on, I realize that this post doesnt make some outrageous claims or gives absolute "proof" that aliens are living right here on earth. Those and any other thread that is posted to intentionally create arguments or controversy seem to be the ones that get the majority of the discussions. I dont care how many reply posts that I get or how many flags I get.
All I'm attempting to do is to get a bit of information about our friends across the Atlantic and how they feel about these new "terror alert" levels and how a very high level "critical" affects their day to day life, it at all.

Er, OK then. The daily lives are not changed much at all. There are no changes to civil liberties at all. Indeed I doubt if the majority of people would notice if the level went up.

In the UK there is always some level of threat identified. The level of threat rises as more information is gained about known or potential specific targets or groups of targets, and security is massively increased in these areas. At the top level of security, a definite threat has been identified to a specific target. This will have an effect such as closing or restricting entry to these areas.

General security also increases, but this tends to have no effect on day-to-day life as the UK security services are rather good at passive security.

What is the point of sticking mass numbers of people in camps? All that does is carry out the terrorists aim i.e. disruption of civil liberties, without them having to actually carry out an attack.

Edited to add a couple of little links to the Mi5 web site dealing with Threat Levels and Response levels

[edit on 1-7-2007 by PaddyInf]

The "critical" situation has no impact on our day to day living at the moment. I surpose it would if I went to an airport or some other high profile place. It seems to be life as normal at the moment.
Cheers
John

Originally posted by jon1
The "critical" situation has no impact on our day to day living at the moment. I surpose it would if I went to an airport or some other high profile place. It seems to be life as normal at the moment.
Cheers
John

yip.
im about 40 miles from glasgow, and i still got drunk with my mates last night.

we talked about it, but soon just got on with life really.

i think i speak for most when i say .. " 2 attacks, 2 failed. our security here is 1st class. and being an island helps also.

also hardly any of us are watching the news about this anymore.
we keep an eye on things, thats about it, its "as you were"

as for security alerts, id hate the american way, its just a reminder, constant reminder as well. we know there is a REAL threat, just let us get on with it, and hope the british forces, police, and the general population as a whole just be aware of things. and we are.