Nicola Sturgeon ‘deeply disturbed’ at UK spying claim

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Prime Minister David Cameron to seek assurances following reports that GCHQ has reversed a long-standing policy of not intercepting the communications of MSPs.

She also sought immediate confirmation that the intelligence agencies will treat MSPs in the same way as Westminster members and confirmed that the Scottish government was not consulted on changes to the doctrine ahead of the apparent change in policy.

The convention is named after former prime minister Harold Wilson, who pledged in 1966 that MPs’ and peers’ phones would not be tapped.

Her move followed reports in the Glasgow-based Daily Record newspaper that the “Wilson doctrine” is no longer being applied in Scotland.

In a letter to Mr Cameron, Ms Sturgeon said: “I am sure you will agree with me that, excepting truly exceptional circumstances involving national security, the confidentiality of communications between parliamentarians and their constituents is of the utmost importance”.

Although the doctrine was never officially extended to cover the Scottish Parliament and Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies when they were set up, devolved representatives had previously been treated in the same way. Confidentiality and privacy is just as important to those constituents who contact their MSPs as it is to those to contact their MPs.

Baroness Jones said there was a clear public interest in protecting the communications of parliamentarians from unnecessary surveillance.

Jaffe continued: “The Wilson Doctrine does not exclude any possibility of surveillance or intercept of MPs”.

“There needs to be full transparency from the UK Government on this”, Gray said in a statement.

“For the rules on spying on elected representatives across the UK to change without any sort of public scrutiny or accountability is a democratic outrage”.

Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “Given the SNP devised the state guardian scheme and wants to meddle in people’s lives to ludicrous extents, you’d think the party would welcome these reports”.

They have taken their case to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal which investigates complaints against the security services.

From my point of view – as a relative newcomer and persistent (if unintentional) rule breaker in the House of Lords – this blanket surveillance further undermines my own ability to do my job in Parliament, that of holding to account the Government, all their ministers and the state agencies.

Those internal policies are said to have been amended following the legal challenge of Caroline Lucas MP, and Baroness Jones, last year.

Details around the Tempora mass data collection programme was revealed by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and, although an investigation was launched into the data collected, it found “no evidence of a widespread, deliberate attempt” to monitor MP calls or email communications.