Dear Emily,
As your constituent, I am writing to express my concern over mass surveillance in the UK. More specifically, my concern is currently focused on the Investigatory Powers Bill. Currently in draft form, the new Tory government aims to pass it during the current parliament.
As the public learned from the revelations made by Edward Snowden, the UK government is running a programme of mass surveillance on its citizens:
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It affects everyone, regardless of whether they have committed any wrongdoing or there is reasonable suspicion that they might commit one. All citizens are treated as criminals by default; depriving them of a basic human right, as outlined in article 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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As such, it is against the Human Rights Act, which I trust you and your party will steadfastly work to defend during this parliament. Even if the current government were to be successful repealing the Human Rights Act, this surveillance would remain illegal according to International Law, contravening the European Convention on Human Rights on Article 8 (the right to respect for private and family life) and Article 10 (the right to freedom of expression).
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It makes the Internet less secure, introducing government-sponsored vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious attackers. This includes not only criminals, but also other governments or interests opposed to those of the UK and its allies
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Introduces new burdens on Internet-based businesses, forcing them to spend large amounts of money and time to comply. At the moment, the costs are estimated at £1.8 billion, which some experts dispute as wildly under-estimating the true cost to the taxpayer. In return, the programmes run by GCHQ and agencies in other countries appear to be giving very little value for money
The planned Investigatory Powers Bill will only worsen the problem. Therefore, I ask you not only to oppose it, but also to facilitate and support an independent inquiry on the subject. This would report before the next general election with recommendations as to legislative reform.
Parliament must do a better job of holding the intelligence agencies to account, and these now are becoming larger than governments themselves, threatening the very foundations of democracy. The United Kingdom can be proud of a long-standing tradition of free speech and liberty, yet its politicians seem to be in a hurry to remove both from the people who elected them.
I trust you will work to protect our rights, and together with Parliament set a new standard of democracy, for the world to admire for times to come. One where citizens do not fear government, and governments are held to account by citizens.
Yours sincerely,