MPs barred from reading their own emails

There's crass and there's unbelievable stupidity, a category into which tumbles the person who installed a new email filtering package at the House of Commons.

Designed to stop spam, the app has gone censorware-crazy, with MPs complaining that the system is 'stifling political debate'.

Paul Tyler, Lib Dem MP, told the BBC that the email filter is "now blocking parts of the Sexual Offences Bill being sent to parliamentary e-mail addresses. It also blocked a Liberal Democrat consultation paper on Censorship."

D'oh!

As Mr. Tyler says: "Blocking filth is one thing, gagging political debate is another. Censoring MPs discussions with their staff, colleagues and constituents is totally unacceptable."

We guess, the BOFHs at the Houses of Parliament are tweaking the filters as we write. ®

Two fine stories from the BBC

• E-mail vetting blocks MPs' sex debate
• Porn plagues MPs' emails