Oh hello, I’m in the Daily Mail. I blame Jo Shaw.

Today’s Daily Mail features a letter from 116 Liberal Democrats, including myself:

No to secret courts: A letter from 116 Liberal Democrats

Dear Sir,

We are writing to urge all MPs to do the right thing by voting against Part II of the Justice and Security Bill when it has its Report stage in the Commons today.

The Justice and Security Bill runs a coach and horses through fair trial guarantees which have been part of our country’s constitution since the Civil War and which were first enshrined in the Magna Carta. The secret court measures contained in the Bill could even apply to habeas corpus proceedings.

The stakes for our country could not be higher. The “War on Terror” led to many mistakes: liberty was sacrificed in the name of security. This led directly to British agents facilitating kidnap and torture such as the cases of Binyam Mohammed and Abdul-Hakim Belhaj. For those who are victims of such crimes to be shut out of the trials of their own claims for damages runs totally contrary to any notion of justice.

As the Special Advocates reiterated last week, the case for this Bill has not been made. The Joint Committee on Human Rights reported on 28th February 2013 that the government has failed to meet its requirements to make “Closed Material Procedures” less unfair.

We call on all MPs now to act before it is too late, and they become complicit in irrevocable damage to our constitution.

This issue goes beyond party politics. However, as Liberal Democrats the protection of civil liberties is of crucial importance. We are looking to Nick Clegg to lead the Liberal Democrat MPs in opposition to the Bill.

Opposition to Part II is what liberal democracy demands of us. Secret courts must not form any part of the legacy of a government in which Liberal Democrats have a role.

Yours faithfully,

1. Jo Shaw, Member of Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, London
2. Martin Tod, Member of Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, Winchester
3. Sarah Ludford MEP
4. David Howarth, Cambridge
5. Lord Strasburger
6. Professor Philippe Sands QC, Camden
7. Sandra Gidley, Romsey
8. Robin Meltzer, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Richmond
9. Elaine Bagshaw, Federal Executive member, London
10. Daisy Cooper, Federal Executive member
11. Mark Pack, Federal Policy Committee member
12. Gareth Epps, Federal Policy Committee, Social Liberal Forum co-chair
13. Benjamin Mathis, Hackney
14. Sally Hooker, Greenwich
15. Tracy Connell, Newcastle, Regional Officer
16. Christina Shaw, Leeds NW
17. David Shaw, Leeds NW
18. Matt Whayman, Runnymede and Weybridge
19. Chris Richards, Camden
20. John L Oakes, London N6
21. Paula Keaveney, Liverpool, Police and Crime Commissioner candidate, Merseyside
22. Alix Mortimer, Haringey
23. Tom Polak – Campaigns Secretary Nottingham Liberal Youth
24. Rob Knight, Haringey
25. Caron Lindsay, Member of Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, Livingston
26. Charlotte Henry, Liberal Reform, Barnet
27. Gemma Roulston, membership secretary, LDDA
28. Lady Ellen Dahrendorf, London NW3
29. Ruth Edmonds, Oxford
30. Nick Thornsby, Liberal Reform, Rochdale
31. Geoff Hinchliffe, Shipdham
32. Peter Lloyd, Birmingham
33. Councillor Jonathan Bloch
34. Mark Platt, Westminster & City of London party
35. Tom Barney
36. Roger Crouch, Twickenham
37. Jennifer Liddle, Cambridgeshire
38. Kirsten de Keyser, Camden
39. Andrew Brown, Bristol
40. Simon McGrath, Chair, Merton Liberal Democrats, Liberal Reform
41. Scott Walker, Nottingham
42. John Faulkner, Guildford
43. Kat Dadswell, Liverpool
44. Cllr James Baker, Calderdale Liberal Democrats.
45. Emily Fieran-Reed, Islington
46. Cllr Alaric Rose, Cherwell District Council
47. David Wright, Harlow
48. Nick Barlow, Colchester
49. Tony Miller, President, Ealing Liberal Democrats
50. Phil Stevens Chair Liberal Democrat Disability Association
51. Mrs Janet King, Chair, Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats
52. Corry Cashman, Leighton Buzzard
53. Prof. Denis Mollison, Musselburgh
54. Cllr Richard Cheney, Lib Dem Group Leader, Stratford DC
55. Robert Leslie, Treasurer, Banffshire & Buchan Coast Liberal Democrats
56. Hannah Bettsworth, Edinburgh South
57. Simon P. Hughes, Epping Forest, Social Liberal Forum
58. Richard Broadbent, Sutton
59. Jonathan Price, London SE24
60. Chris Smart, Chester
61. Fionn O’Donovan, Oxford
62. Richard Lowe
63. Prateek Buch
64. Charles Scanlan, London NW8
65. Chris Nelson, Kettering & Wellingborough
66. Rev Simon Wilson, Broadland
67. Peter Brooks
68. Neville Farmer
69. Cllr Janet Battye, Liberal Democrat Leader, Calderdale MBC
70. Anthony Fairclough, London Region Exec & Merton Borough
71. Jonathan Calder
72. David Abrahams, Camden
73. Richard Morris, Richmond and Twickenham
74. Alex Marsh, Bristol
75. Geoff Payne, Hertfordshire
76. Peter Reisdorf, West Kirby
77. Bridget Fox, Islington
78. Paul Wild, Walsall
79. Lisa Smart, Hazel Grove
80. Ros Gordon, Hampshire
81. Patrick Hadfield, Edinburgh
82. Lancelot Casely-Hayford, Liberal Youth Campaigns Officer
83. Reece Edmends – Liberal Youth Non-Portfolio Officer
84. Timothy Oliver, Hull
85. Ellis R Palmer, Secretary of the Univeristy of Birmingham Liberal Democrats
86. Robert Pitt, Secretary, Leeds Liberal Youth
87. Kavya Kaushik, Liberal Youth co-Chair
88. Joe Donnelly, Chair of Durham University Liberal Democrats
89. Kevin McNamara, President of University of Kent Liberal Democrats
90. Sam Fisk, Liberal Youth co-Chair
91. Jezz Palmer, Youth and Student Rep, Winchester
92. Conor McKenzie, Harrogate, Liberal Youth International Officer
93. Ashley Wilkes – President of Lancaster University Liberal Democrats
94. Jonathan Lancaster, York Outer
95. Alexander J. Harding Last, Ipswich
96. Will Fielding, Hull and Hessle Liberal Youth Officer
97. Harry Matthews, Sheffield
98. Alex Barry, Norwich
99. Stuart Wheatcroft, Chair, West Midlands Liberal Youth
100. James Higgin, Aberdeen
101. Emma Sandrey, Cardiff Central
102. Samuel Barratt
103. Cllr Mathew Hulbert, Barwell, Leicestershire
104. Dr Maria Pretzler, Swansea & Gower
105. Katrin McClure, East Yorks
106. Cllr Keith Moffitt, Leader, Liberal Democrats, Camden
107. Conor McGovern-Paul, Kingston-upon-Thames
108. Marek Lipinski, Ealing
109. Jacquie Bell, Dunbar, Scotland
110. Brian James Woodcraft,Eltham, London
111. Jean Evans, Chester
112. Jason Lower, Tonbridge and Malling
113. Cllr Terry Stacy, Leader, Islington Liberal Democrats
114. Adam Bernard, Cambridge
115. Chris Caswill, Wiltshire
116. Ed Fordham, Camden

Better company overall than the one from the weekend…!