There is a government edict against the bugging of MPs since the bugging scandal of Harold Wilson’s government - the Wilson Doctrine, reaffirmed in a written answer by Gordon Brown 5 months ago. Apparently "Knowing that Khan was coming, the antiterrorist squad requested the bugging", and it seems it was authorised despite the edict confirmed by Gordon Brown, and the fact Sadiq Khan is also a lawyer who usually have privileged access.

What is going on in the Met? Ahmad has lodged a civil claim against Sir Ian Blair, so the Met has direct self-interest here. [turned out later it was at the request of the Met, but done by Thames Valley police]

The other allegation coming out is that at least six visitor tables are permanently set up for bugging at Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes, operated and maintained by specialist detectives permanently based at the prison. So it would seem bugging prisoners is common-place in the UK now.

Andrew Mackinlay said "It is an affront to democracy and has all the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime. No one is suggesting that MPs should be above the law, but when behaving as MPs and dealing with people’s liberty that must be sacrosanct as it is with lawyers." Absolutely.

It is good that some in the Met/Scotland Yard are so aghast they are willing to leak this.

Update: Jack Straw has already ordered an inquiry, and said it is "completely unacceptable" for an MP to be recorded while talking to a constituent.

BTW Babar Ahmad faces no charges in the UK, the US want to extradite him - he bas been in prison since 2004, and is now awaiting a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. Ahmad is a childhood friend of Sadiq Khan.

Update 2: Nick Robinson has just said on The World at One that ministers had not authorised this; a Thames Valley detective is being disciplined, but the detective claims he had the approval of his Chief Constable and Khan was not the target.

Update 3: The story is running hot - Nick Robinson said on The World Tonight: Home Office civil servants knew about this December, but ministers only heard last w/e. The police officer who did the bugging says that he came under "significant pressure from the Metropolitan police requesting that we covertly record a social visit between a terrorist detainee and a member of Parliament ... I did record the visit but have never felt it was justified in these circumstances." Khan was of particular interest to some of the Met, and some in the Met regard Sadiq Khan as a subversive. The Daily Mail reports "Scotland Yard's most senior officers first authorised the bugging of the pair as long ago as 2004." Jack Straw said today the Wilson Doctrine does not cover the use of bugs to listen in to conversations. Nick Robinson added on BBC News that he has been told that during the Northern Ireland peace process several MPs had been bugged. Doesn't sound like this will quiet down with an enquiry announced, and there is lots of leaking.