Bugging row breaks out in the UK

According to an article in this morning's Financial Times, titled "Brown denies he knew of bugging claims", an internal inquiry has been ordered into accusations that anti-terrorism officers bugged conversations between a Muslim Labour MP and a constituent who is in prison.

Apparently, David Davis, shadow home secretary, said he had written to the prime minister in December saying he was aware of a specific MP being bugged while in conversation with “a constituent, arrested and detained as a terrorist suspect since 2003”.

Whether or not Prime Minister Brown knew of the letter from the Shadow Home Secretary might attest to the PM's memory or to the internal organisation of his office - not great, if Mr. Davis's letter was in fact received by the PM's office.

But what no one seems to be asking is: how was Mr Davis "aware" of the MP's conversation in prison being bugged.

Where did the leak come from? Were established procedures followed in such cases if someone inside and in the know wanted to bring an abuse of justice to the attention of the responsible authorities, before a failure of such procedures led to her/ his leaking the matter to Mr. Davis? Sphere: Related Content