Dear Mr Soames,

Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill

I’m pretty sure you’ll toe the party line on this one, but if I don’t write to you then you don’t know about objection from (at least one of) your constituents.

I am outraged by this legislation being pushed through in the manner that it is.

I am further outraged that this legislation is necessary for Her Majesty’s Government to cover what has been illegal activity demanded of telecoms and Internet service providers since the European Court of Justice ruling in April that invalidated the EU-wide data retention law.

I am most outraged that no evidence has been presented to the public to show that the use of the data collected is effective and provides value for our tax pounds. Instead we have scaremongering over ‘terrorists’ and other criminal elements along with the ‘nothing to hide nothing to fear’ rhetoric.

I look forward to your canned reply with the usual bluster about defence of the realm, protecting UK interests and the need to allow security services to operate in secret without proper oversight because they’re doing a fine job looking after us and should be left to get on with it.
Yours sincerely,

Chris Swan