GCSB receives US funding

Three weeks ago we learned that the NSA are secretly funding Britain's GCHQ by over £30 million a year. This naturally led to the question: are they also funding "our" GCSB? Today, Russel Norman asked that question in Parliament. The Prime Minister refused to answer, saying that it was "not in the national interest" for him to do so.

Key's refusal is as good as an admission. If our spies weren't being funded by (and therefore working for) a foreign power, he would simply say so. By refusing to answer, he's made it clear that "our" spies aren't. They're America's spies, hosted by us, but paid for and answering to the US.

This isn't acceptable. Our government should work for us, not foreigners. The practice has to end, and there needs to be a full inquiry into this dirty deal so we can see how badly the GCSB and our politicians have betrayed us. And naturally, that inquiry needs to be public. There can be no accountability from "investigations" conducted in secret.