Tory party in trouble over data protection

The Conservative Party's Hammersmith and Fulham branch is launching an investigation into the use of voter details stored in its database, after it emerged that the party may be regularly breaking data protection laws.

The issue emerged when silicon.com reader, Stacia Smales Hill, sent a number of letters to local councillors and MPs last year regarding the redevelopment of the Fulham Football Club. One of the councillors she contacted was Conservative Party member, Matthew Carrington.

Last week, Smales Hill received an email from the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservatives, asking her to cast her vote in the London election for Steve Norris, the Conservative candidate.

"I have never given them permission to use my email address, and I was not given the option to ensure I do not receive more mailings of this type," Smales Hill said.

Douglas Campbell, the agent for the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative Party, said it is standard practice for councillors to pass on voter details to the party. And he insisted that all parties do the same. Campbell said he will investigate the matter to make sure voter details are stored and used properly.

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is concerned that all political parties are breaching the privacy of individuals who write to MPs and councillors on matters of local concern.

According to Samantha Brierly, compliance manager at the DPC, the Conservative Party may have breached data protection rules by contacting Smales Hill on a party political matter when she wrote to her councillor on a constituency matter.

"There is a deficiency of knowledge within the parties generally about the flows of data between MPs, councillors and parties," said Brierly. "We are aware of a blurring of the edges in how MPs and councillors handle data sent to them on constituency matters." She said that the ongoing investigation into Frank Dobson's use of Labour membership lists in the campaign is another example. The DPC is preparing guidance for the parties on this issue.

In the meantime, Campbell's advice to voters is to let councillors and MPs know, in no uncertain terms, not to hand details to the party.

"If you email a councillor or an MP, include a standard line that tells them not to store your email address with the party," he said.