Labour's plans for e-mail database slammed by Lib Dems

1.27.19pm GMT Fri 9th Jan 2009

John Dixon, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Cardiff North, has criticised government plans for a database of citizens' e-mails.

Liberal Democrats in Cardiff have hit out at government plans for a database of e-mail and phone records, branding it as unnecessary and expensive.

From March, all internet service providers (ISPs) will be forced by law to keep information about every e-mail sent or received in the UK for twelve months. The Home Office claims the data is vital for crime and terror inquiries.

However, the Liberal Democrats have argued that the measures represent a further step towards ordinary citizens being treated as criminal suspects.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Cardiff North, John Dixon, said:"With 3 billion e-mails, 18 million internet connections and 57 billion text messages a year, it will be impossible for these measures to make any difference to national security. The only effects will be to further chip away at the rights of British citizens to privacy from Government interference.

Gabalfa councillor, Ed Bridges, added: "This system could cost the Government - and therefore the taxpayer - anything between £25m and £70m. That financial cost is bad enough, but these measures haven't even taken into account the cost to our civil liberties. Privacy is a fundamental human right under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is reprehensible that the Government are flagrantly abusing citizens' rights in this way."