Political

Lib Dems ‘may ditch’ Communications Data Bill – BBC

Good news for our civil liberties with the news that the Liberal Democrats are going to follow through on the party’s opposition to the Snoopers’ Charter.

The BBC reports:

The Lib Dems might withdraw their support for government plans to give the police new powers to monitor email and internet use, the BBC has learned.

Party sources say leader Nick Clegg is ready to use a parliamentary report, due out next week, to oppose the plans…

Sources said Mr Clegg met the Prime Minister face to face earlier this week to discuss the issue and was “noncommittal” about the bill’s future.

The loss of Lib Dem support would place a question mark over the future of the bill as the Conservatives would struggle to push it through Parliament alone…

A joint committee of MPs and peers has been considering the draft bill since the summer and it will publish next week what is expected to be a strongly critical report.

One senior Lib Dem minister said: “The report gives Nick an opportunity to kill the bill for good and that’s what he wants to do.” Another said: “This is a dead duck. It is a question of when, not if.”

Although:

Labour accepts there is an issue to be addressed but has not yet said if it will support the bill.

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