Nicola Sturgeon demands answers over GCHQ MSP snooping claim

The Daily Record reports today that earlier this year GCHQ dropped its guidelines to extend the Wilson Doctrine, which mandates that agencies should not eavesdrop on the communications of MPs, to devolved assemblies, as had been the case since 1997.

The First Minister has written to David Cameron to seek an “immediate assurance” that the wording protecting MSPs’ communications be reinstated.

She also calls on Cameron to ensure MSPs are “treated equally to MPs” by intelligence agencies in the future, asks whether the communications of any MSPs have been intercepted, and whether there was “any ministerial knowledge or approval” of the decision.

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“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,” Sturgeon wrote.  

“I am sure you will also agree that it is just as important for MSPs as it is for MPs. This principle of confidentiality is what the ‘Wilson doctrine’ was introduced to protect.

“You will therefore understand my concern at suggestions in the Daily Record and elsewhere – reportedly supported by documentation shown to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal – that, while GCHQ had been applying the Wilson doctrine to the communications of MSPs, that is no longer the case. The Scottish Government has not been consulted on any such matter.”

Iain Gray, the acting leader of Scottish Labour, has described the revelation as “outrageous” and “utterly unacceptable”.

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

“We need to know urgently who decided on this major rule change and when. 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.”

Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has tabled parliamentary questions to “get to the bottom of this”, Gray added.