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MP was bugged twice, report says | MP was bugged twice, report says |
(40 minutes later) | |
A Labour MP was bugged on two visits to see a constituent in prison, the home secretary has told the Commons. | |
Jacqui Smith was relaying the findings of an inquiry into the recording of Sadiq Khan at a jail in Milton Keynes. | |
Senior police officers who ordered the recording of the conversations did not know who Mr Khan was, but junior officers did, the report found. | |
And it added there was no breach of the political protocol known as the "Wilson doctrine", protecting MPs from bugging. | |
"The monitoring was carried out lawfully under the legislation," Ms Smith said as she set out the findings of chief surveillance commissioner Sir Christopher Rose's inquiry. | |
"It was properly authorised and fully documented." | |
Mr Khan, the MP for Tooting in south London, was secretly recorded when he met terror suspect Babar Ahmad on two separate visits, on 21 May 2005 and 24 June 2006. | |
The US is seeking to extradite Mr Ahmad on suspicion of running websites raising funds for the Taleban. Mr Khan has been campaigning for his release. | The US is seeking to extradite Mr Ahmad on suspicion of running websites raising funds for the Taleban. Mr Khan has been campaigning for his release. |
Wilson's pledge | Wilson's pledge |
Details of the bugging first emerged in the Sunday Times, which alleged that a bugging device had been hidden inside a hollowed-out table in the jail's main visiting hall. | |
Ms Smith said on Wednesday she had not yet received the reportAnd an ex-police intelligence officer at the prison said he faced "sustained pressure" to bug Mr Khan. | Ms Smith said on Wednesday she had not yet received the reportAnd an ex-police intelligence officer at the prison said he faced "sustained pressure" to bug Mr Khan. |
MPs are not supposed to be bugged, according to the so-called "Wilson doctrine". | MPs are not supposed to be bugged, according to the so-called "Wilson doctrine". |
This was introduced in 1966 when Harold Wilson, prime minister at the time, feared MI5 might be monitoring politicians without permission. | This was introduced in 1966 when Harold Wilson, prime minister at the time, feared MI5 might be monitoring politicians without permission. |
He pledged no MP's phone would ever be bugged. | He pledged no MP's phone would ever be bugged. |
This was later widened to include all forms of communications and every subsequent prime minister has gone along with the doctrine - although Gordon Brown altered it last summer so it did not cover bugging authorised by police rather than the home secretary. | This was later widened to include all forms of communications and every subsequent prime minister has gone along with the doctrine - although Gordon Brown altered it last summer so it did not cover bugging authorised by police rather than the home secretary. |
Sir Christopher's report stressed that the confidentiality of conversations between MPs and constituents should remain protected. | |
"There should be absolutely no doubt about the vital importance of covert surveillance techniques," Ms Smith said. | |
And the ability to make use of such an "essential tool" should be preserved but "carefully regulated", she added. |