Clegg under pressure over Data Bill

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27 May 2013

Nick Clegg is under renewed pressure over his decision to stop new laws giving police and security services powers to monitor internet and email activity.

The Deputy Prime Minister blocked the so-called "snooper's charter" earlier this month but demands for the legislation to be introduced have heightened in the wake of the savage murder of Drummer Lee Rigby.

Among the fiercest critics was one of Mr Clegg's own peers, who accused the Lib Dem leader of bringing the Communications Data Bill to a halt for "purely political" reasons. Lord Carlile suggested the reforms it contains might have prevented the soldier's death if they had been introduced two years ago and were "very likely" to stop future attacks.

Home Secretary Theresa May indicated earlier on Sunday that the plans would be revived and appeared to be gearing up for a fight with Liberal Democrats.

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard suggested the party should join forces with Labour to get new laws passed if Liberal Democrats continue to prevent reform - a move that Labour's Ed Miliband has previously indicated he is open to.

"If the Liberal Democrats maintain their opposition to it, I think there's a case for the Conservative Party passing that legislation with support from the Labour Party," Lord Howard told BBC Radio 5 live. "The prime minister's got to act in the national interest to give the protection to people of this country that they need and deserve from horrible attacks of this kind, and I think the Communications Data Bill could be an important element in that programme."

Labour former Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he was "absolutely passionately" a supporter of reforms and suggested it was a resigning issue for Mrs May if she could not get the changes into law by 2015.

The Home Secretary said there was a reference to the plans in the Queen's Speech. She added: "I have always been clear that access to communications data is essential for law enforcement agencies and the intelligence agencies. There is a reducing capability in relation to access to communications data."

Lord Carlile, who until 2011 was the independent reviewer of government anti-terror laws, said in an article for the Mail on Sunday that just days before Drummer Rigby was killed he had written to Mr Clegg warning "I fear that this may come to haunt you and the party if any terrorism event occurs which could otherwise have been avoided".

A spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister warned against "leaping to conclusions". He added: "Both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have cautioned against knee-jerk responses. There is currently no suggestion that the proposals in the draft communications data bill would have had any relevance to the sickening events. There are already substantial powers in place to track the communications of criminals and terrorists. As stated in the Queen's Speech, the Government will continue to work to address some of the challenges posed by new technology."

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