Thatcher Asks Investigation of Wiretaps
- Share via
LONDON — Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has ordered an investigation of allegations that British intelligence agents tapped the telephones of union leaders, anti-nuclear protesters and left-wing politicians, says Home Secretary Leon Brittan.
Brittan said last week in Parliament that Lord Bridge, chairman of the Security Commission created by Thatcher to investigate leaks in intelligence services, would investigate the allegations made in a television program that was to have been broadcast last week.
Lord Bridge is to review all wiretaps made since May 1979, when Thatcher took office, to see if the taps were made in accordance with government regulations, Brittan said.
Britain’s Independent Television Network did not air the program, based on interviews with present and former intelligence officers, because network executives feared prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
