Responding to the speech by Home Secretary Theresa May today, Liberal Democrats have again re-iterated their opposition to any kind of Snooper’s Charter.

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said:

“We utterly reject the allegation that the blocking of the Communications Data Bill has put lives at risk.

“Police already have the ability to obtain data in urgent cases where lives are in danger.

“The real problem is the availability of IP address data, where we have always accepted there is a need for action, and indeed publicly committed to legislation last year.

“Frankly, it is woeful inaction on the part of the Home Office that solutions have not been identified to deal with this issue.

“If failure to act on the IP matching problem has put lives at risk, the Home Secretary must explain why her department has not acted.

“Theresa May is peddling misinformation in a vain attempt to get the so-called ‘Snooper’s Charter’ back on the table.

“Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose the Tories’ obsessive intrusion into people’s lives.”