Government Surveillance Debate

It’s five months since The Guardian first reported on just how invasive the British intelligence agencies’ internet and phone surveillance is. Politicians across Europe and America have been debating this ever since. But in the UK, our MPs have been mostly silent.

This Thursday, MPs have the chance to hold a substantial debate about the intelligence and security service, for the first time since Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing hit the headlines. But for the debate to be really hard-hitting, and genuinely useful, lots of MPs need to turn up.

If you email and ask them to attend they’re much more likely to be there. Can you take two minutes to email your MP and ask them to attend the debate? Please click here.

Liberal Democrat MP Julian Huppert, Conservative MP Dominic Raab, and Labour’s Tom Watson MP have secured the debate to raise concerns about the need to make sure surveillance in this country is necessary, proportionate and accountable.

But there’s a real risk that not many MPs will turn up. If enough of us get in touch with our MPs now and ask them to attend the debate, together we can prove that British citizens care about their civil liberties and privacy.

“If MPs know that enough of their constituents care about a debate like this, they’re usually much more likely to attend.”

Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge

When it was exposed that UK spy agencies have been intercepting our private phone calls and internet traffic – and sharing it with the USA’s security services – many people, including MPs and ministers, had no idea that UK surveillance was so wide reaching. But so far MPs haven’t had a chance to debate it.

Let’s make sure the debate is packed full of MPs to ensure that it has a big impact. Please email your MP here and ask them to join in the debate now.