Wilson Doctrine
Encyclopedia
The Wilson Doctrine is a ban on the tapping
of UK
MPs'
and Peers
' (but not members of devolved legislatures
) telephones introduced in 1966 and named after Harold Wilson
, the Labour
Prime Minister
who established the rule.
However the pledge was qualified in two respects, as the Intelligence and Security Committee
made clear in their 2005-06 Annual Report:
This meant that the Prime Minister could reverse the doctrine in the interests of national security, but that he did not need to reveal the fact to the House of Commons until he felt it safe to do so. In theory this means that the Wilson Doctrine could already have been reversed, with the Prime Minister having decided it was premature to disclose the fact.
The Rt Hon.
Sir Swinton Thomas asked the government to reconsider the implications of the doctrine
on the regulatory framework established under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
. Prime Minister Tony Blair
confirmed he would be considering whether or not the ban should be lifted, in order to comply with the act.
However, in March 2006 - in a written ministerial statement - Tony Blair said that following a period of fresh consultation, the 'Wilson doctrine' will remain in place.
In February 2007, Sir Swinton Thomas again called for the ban to be removed, saying:
In September 2007 Prime Minister Gordon Brown
reaffirmed the doctrine as "The Wilson Doctrine applies to all forms of interception that are subject to authorisation by Secretary of State warrant."
had been bugged whilst talking to a constituent in Woodhill Prison
. However since this appeared to have been a face-to-face conversation, even if it was bugged, it may not have been a literal breach of the Wilson Doctrine. An inquiry was launched by Justice Secretary, The Rt Hon. Jack Straw MP
.
Further questions about the validity of the Doctrine arose in November 2008 after the home and Parliamentary offices of Damian Green
MP were searched by the Metropolitan Police.. Other questions in the Lords asked whether communications which had been stored were protected by the same doctrine.
Telephone tapping
Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...
of UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
MPs'
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and Peers
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
' (but not members of devolved legislatures
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
) telephones introduced in 1966 and named after Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
who established the rule.
Introduction
Following a spate of scandals involving alleged telephone bugging of MPs Mr Wilson gave a pledge to MPs that their phones would not be tapped:However the pledge was qualified in two respects, as the Intelligence and Security Committee
Intelligence and Security Committee
The Intelligence and Security Committee is a committee of parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister to oversee the work of the Intelligence machinery of the United Kingdom...
made clear in their 2005-06 Annual Report:
This meant that the Prime Minister could reverse the doctrine in the interests of national security, but that he did not need to reveal the fact to the House of Commons until he felt it safe to do so. In theory this means that the Wilson Doctrine could already have been reversed, with the Prime Minister having decided it was premature to disclose the fact.
Re-assessment
Subsequent prime ministers have regularly confirmed that the ban remains in place, but in January 2006, the then Interception of Communications commissionerCommissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
The Rt Hon.
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
Sir Swinton Thomas asked the government to reconsider the implications of the doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
on the regulatory framework established under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covering the interception of communications...
. Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
confirmed he would be considering whether or not the ban should be lifted, in order to comply with the act.
However, in March 2006 - in a written ministerial statement - Tony Blair said that following a period of fresh consultation, the 'Wilson doctrine' will remain in place.
In February 2007, Sir Swinton Thomas again called for the ban to be removed, saying:
In September 2007 Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
reaffirmed the doctrine as "The Wilson Doctrine applies to all forms of interception that are subject to authorisation by Secretary of State warrant."
Sadiq Khan MP
In February 2008 it was reported that Sadiq KhanSadiq Khan
Sadiq Aman Khan is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tooting since 2005, succeeding Tom Cox as the Labour MP for the seat...
had been bugged whilst talking to a constituent in Woodhill Prison
Woodhill (HM Prison)
HM Prison Woodhill is a Category A men's prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Woodhill Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
. However since this appeared to have been a face-to-face conversation, even if it was bugged, it may not have been a literal breach of the Wilson Doctrine. An inquiry was launched by Justice Secretary, The Rt Hon. Jack Straw MP
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
.
Further questions about the validity of the Doctrine arose in November 2008 after the home and Parliamentary offices of Damian Green
Damian Green
Damian Howard Green is a British politician who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashford since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4's business editor...
MP were searched by the Metropolitan Police.. Other questions in the Lords asked whether communications which had been stored were protected by the same doctrine.
See also
- Harold Wilson conspiracy theoriesHarold Wilson conspiracy theoriesSince the mid-1970s, a variety of conspiracy theories have emerged centering on British Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. These range from Wilson having been a Soviet agent, to Wilson being the victim of counter-espionage plots by members of the civil service....
- SpycatcherSpycatcherSpycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer , is a book written by Peter Wright, former MI5 officer and Assistant Director, and co-author Paul Greengrass. It was published first in Australia...
, a book alleging some staff of MI5MI5The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
plotted against Harold Wilson's government
External links
- Ban on phone tapping MPs remains, BBC News
- MP phone tap ban 'may be lifted', BBC News
- No 10 denies MP 'bugging' tip-off, BBC News, Feb 2008