Green Assembly Member Baroness Jenny Jones blasts Boris Johnson for “shirking his responsibilities”, “repeatedly failing to defend the civil liberties of Londoners by checking up on what the Met Police are doing” and choosing against reforms.
The report published today of the Review of UK internet and communication surveillance practices has found that the legal regime is “undemocratic and intolerable”. Jenny Jones AM published a report in January 2015 on the surveillance state which showed how the Mayor of London failed to both monitor the way the Met Police used their powers under RIPA, and to challenge the Met Police’s wide definition of a domestic extremist.
Jenny Jones protesting outside City Hall.
Jenny Jones AM said: “The review published today highlights some of the lessons that have been learned from the misuse of existing powers by the Met Police. I especially welcome the recommendation that RIPA needs judicial oversight, but this also needs to apply to new legislation on the Snoopers Charter. The Met Police mustn’t gain automatic access to our personal data without going through a judge.”
“There is a stark contrast between the realities of a fragmented and obscure set of laws outlined in this review and the complacent tone adopted by the Mayor of London. Boris Johnson has repeatedly failed to defend the civil liberties of Londoners by checking up on what the Met Police are doing. He has had opportunities to push ahead with reforms, but has deliberately chosen not to. He has shirked his responsibility to hold the Met Police to account for their actions and to stop innocent Londoners being spied upon. Fortunately, others have stepped forward and taken action.”