Westminster's 'spy cops' bill rejected by Scottish Parliament

Scottish Labour’s MSPs voted alongside the Scottish National Party, Scottish Greens and the Lib Dems to refuse legislative consent by Holyrood for the so-called ‘spy cops’ bill.

The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Chis) Bill has been introduced at Westminster because criminal activity by police or spies in the UK is currently unregulated. However, Holyrood’s rejection of the bill means it will not cover Scotland once it comes into law, potentially leaving Scottish police and intelligence agents unable to mount covert operations that could involve them committing criminal offences to protect their cover.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has told Labour MPs and peers to abstain on the bill, despite widespread anxieties that it gives undercover police, intelligence agents and soldiers immunity from prosecution for any criminal offence, without prior approval from a judge. Starmer argues that Labour would need to introduce similar legislation if it was in power.

In a vote, only the Scottish Conservatives voted to support the UK bill, arguing that rejecting it could leave police and the intelligence services unable to use any covert informants or undercover agents.