Home Office revolt over spy plan

HOME SECRETARY Jacqui Smith is facing a revolt from inside her own department as she pushes through plans for a central database that will hold information on everything the great unwashed do.

Senior officials who deal with serious and organised crime have leaked a memo where they are seen privately lobbying against the plans.

Smith has been told that the proposals are “impractical, disproportionate, politically unattractive and possibly unlawful from a human rights perspective”.

It means that Whitehall is against the spy-masters at GCHQ who appear to be pushing through the plans at the expense of the political fall out.

The officials do carry some weight with Smith, she has stalled plans to announce a bill in the Queen’s speech authorising the database.

Other opposition has come in the form of Jack Wraith, of the data communications group of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

He said that there was an “inherent fear” of the data falling into the wrong hands and being used against people.

According to the Times, Smith is already studying less explosive but equally effective alternatives. One idea is to send automated requests to databases already held by telephone and internet firms. µ

L'Inq
Times