BRITISH LEFT IN AN UPROAR: SCOTLAND YARD BUGGED MUSLIM MP DURING MEETINGS WITH A JAILED CONSTITUENT

ToL:

SCOTLAND YARD’S antiterrorist squad secretly bugged a high-profile Labour Muslim MP during private meetings with one of his constituents.

Sadiq Khan, now a government whip, was recorded by an electronic listening device hidden in a table during visits to the constituent in prison.

The bugging of MPs is a breach of a government edict that has barred law agencies from eavesdropping on politicians since the bugging scandal of Harold Wilson’s government. There was no suspicion of criminal conduct by Khan to justify the operation.

A document seen by The Sunday Times shows there was internal concern about the propriety of bugging an MP, who was also a lawyer, but the operation nevertheless went ahead.

* US pledges 'no death penalty' for British terror suspect

The disclosure will put further pressure on Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, who will be asked to explain why his officers apparently breached government rules – and if he authorised it.

Khan discussed sensitive personal and legal matters during the recorded meeting. The MP was said to be “outraged” yesterday. “From what you have told me, this is an infringement of a citizen’s right to have a private meeting with his MP,” he said.

Last night Jack Straw, the justice secretary, said that he had ordered an immediate inquiry and added that it would be “unacceptable” for such a bugging operation to take place.

Andrew Mackinlay, a Labour colleague, said: “The bugging of Sadiq Khan is very dangerous indeed. It is totally unacceptable that MPs’ conversations with constituents are bugged by the security services or the police.

“It is an affront to democracy and has all the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime. No one is suggesting that MPs should be above the law, but when behaving as MPs and dealing with people’s liberty that must be sacrosanct as it is with lawyers.” Khan, 37, is a rising star in the Labour party and is seen as a key figure in Gordon Brown’s drive to win the hearts and minds of Britain’s Muslims. He is a former chairman of Liberty, the human rights group, and used to be a legal adviser to the Muslim Council of Britain.

BBC: Probe into 'bugging' of Muslim MP

Sadiq Khan Justice Secretary Jack Straw has ordered an inquiry into claims police bugged a senior Muslim MP as he visited a friend and constituent in jail.

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan and Babar Khan were recorded twice in Milton Keynes's Woodhill Prison, the Sunday Times says.

The US is seeking to extradite Mr Ahmad on suspicion of running websites raising funds for the Taleban.

Mr Straw said it would be "completely unacceptable" for an MP to be recorded while discussing constituent matters.

Hollowed-out table

The bugging is said to have been carried out by officers from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch during visits by Mr Khan to the Milton Keynes jail in 2005 and 2006.

The MP and government whip has been campaigning for Mr Ahmad, who faces no charges in the UK, to be released.

According to the newspaper, the bugging device was hidden inside a hollowed-out table in the jail's main visiting hall.

"It is the wrong way for police to act"
Khalid Mahmood

The paper says it has seen a document showing there were internal concerns about bugging the MP, who is also a lawyer, but it went ahead anyway.

Scotland Yard said it was not prepared to comment on the claims.

The Brits seem intent on surrendering to Islam.

I mean - foochissakes - this guy in jail is wanted in the USA for terrorism on charges which would NORMALLY bring the DEATH PENALTY. And he's a pal of the supposedly "moderate" MP from the Labour/left - and a rising star in Brown's government!?!?

Sheesh.

If true, it means that Brown's government is not only sympathetic to jihadism, but infiltrated by it.