The Letter I wrote to Ruth Hunt of the House of Lords

contactholmember@parliament.uk

1. Nov 2020

Subject: For Ruth Hunt re the Covert Human Intelligence Bill

Dear Ruth

I wish to reach out to the House of Lords and my friend, the campaigner Anthea Lawson, suggested I address you. Hello. Thank you for the work that you do. 

I am very concerned about three pieces of regent legislation that are passing through Parliament. In particular I am writing to you about the Covert Human Intelligence Bill, which I believe is currently under review by the Lords.

I ask you and the House of Lords to please not pass the bill as it stands, but rather to use what abilities you have to call for amendments to make it safer.

I strongly believe the Bill should contain more limits:

A) To the types of crimes that undercover agents are likely to be excused of

I support Keir Starmer’s amendments and find it lamentable that he whipped his MPs not to vote on it. (I have written this to him.) I don’t know what your powers are here. Can you suggest that there is a re-vote, without whipping? Can you propose amendments to limit the scope of ‘acceptable’ crimes?

B)  To the range of agencies covered by the bill

It is very hard to understand why this should apply to HMRC, or the Food Standards Agency. Can this be limited more strictly to security services, to MI5 and the police?

C) To the reasons why undercover agents of the state may need to commit crimes

National security and policing are understandable.

British Economic Interests, and public order, are not. They are, rather, frankly, alarming.

I am aware of Britain’s deep legacy of violence in this world. I want us to be committed to healing, and to leading with instruments of peace. I want us to have legal structures that encourage peace not violence, for violence begets violence and I think we can do better than we have done at some points in our history.

I ask you and the House of Lords to please not pass the bill as it stands, but rather to use what abilities you have to call for amendments to make it safer.

More broadly, I am concerned about this bill in the context of its pairing with the Overseas Operations Bill, the Review of Administrative Law / challenge to Judicial Review, and the Prorogation of Parliament. Together, these amount to what my friend Alyzabeth I think aptly describes as “a degradation of integrity, in the spirit of ‘we are going to do whatever we want and we are going to have power over you.’”

Frankly, it is frightening.

Please do all that you can to protect the integrity and high standards of all agents of HMG, the functioning of checks and balances on government, and ultimately, the health of our democracy.

With many thanks for reading this and for the work that you do,

Yours sincerely,

Briony Greenhill