TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM TERRY SCRIVEN TO DAVE YATES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL

25 June 2008

Subject: Registration as a voter under a false name

Good Morning Dave,

Hope you are well? Sorry I missed you in Ringwood but I was cycling in Italy.

As you are aware Julian Lewis MP, I am led to believe, lives at [gives Julian's constituency home address] and is registered on the electoral role [sic] under a false name (I am able to provide the name if helpful).

Are you able to confirm that this is the case?

Would you also state under what regulation this procedure is authorised and by whom?

I am not trying to create any waves here just to understand facts so that I do not ask silly questions in public. I must also add that at this moment I have no intention of making information I have in my position [sic], if correct, public.

Many thanks,

Best wishes

Terry

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM TERRY SCRIVEN TO DAVE YATES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL

10 July 2008

Subject: Fwd: Registration as a voter under a false name

Hello Dave,

Just checking you received this email as I have not received any ack [sic] yet.

You are probably extremely busy or on holiday.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Terry

Note: forwarded message attached.

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM DAVE YATES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL, TO TERRY SCRIVEN

11 July 2008

Good Afternoon Terry,

Apologies for not responding sooner. Although I was away for two or three days at the LGA Conference, the main reason was to give me time to clarify the position with Rosemary Rutins and Dr Julian Lewis himself.

I can confirm that Dr Lewis has registered under a nom de plume for a number of years. I understand that this followed an arrangement with the previous Electoral Registration Officer and arose from concerns expressed by Dr Lewis about his personal safety if his name and address appeared on the electoral register. At the time the arrangement was entered into it was the practice, in the absence of any clear legislative provision on such issues, for EROs to accept such registrations where there appeared to be genuine personal safety concerns.

However you might be aware that legislation providing for anonymous registration in restricted circumstances was introduced last year, and I have discussed with Dr Lewis his options for registering using this new legislation in future. The issue may be further complicated by Parliamentary discussions over the anonymity of MPs' addresses and the probability of further statute or guidance on this.

Incidentally, in discussing the issue with Dr Lewis he did ask me directly whether you had raised this with me and [I] saw no reason not to say that you had. He then asked to see any correspondence with you. I indicated that I would have to consider this, but am well aware that your e-mail and reminder would have to be revealed should he, or anyone, submit a Freedom of Information request. I do therefore propose to forward the e-mails but felt I should inform you first.

Please get in touch if there is anything arising from this which you need to discuss.

Regards,

Dave Yates

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM TERRY SCRIVEN TO DAVE YATES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL

11 July 2008

Subject: RE: Registration as a voter under a false name

Dave,

Thank you very much for coming back so quickly. Your email is very clear. I fully understand the reasons for Julian wishing to keep his private address confidential, despite it appearing on the election forms and the agreement that was clearly entered into. I am sure both Julian and I understand the need for security. I have absolutely no objection to you passing him a copy of my previous two emails and also this one.

Have a good weekend.

Yours with best wishes

Terry

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NOTE: JUST ONE WEEK LATER, ON 18 July 2008, JULIAN LEWIS LEARNS FROM DAVE YATES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL, AND FROM DAVE ATWILL, NFDC CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING MANAGER, THAT BEN LEAPMAN (THE JOURNALIST WHO BROUGHT THE CASE LEADING TO THE HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT THAT MPs' HOME ADDRESSES SHOULD BE DISCLOSED TO ANYONE MAKING A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST) HAS CONTACTED THE COUNCIL SAYING THAT HE HAS SEEN AN E-MAIL FROM DAVE YATES WHICH SEEMS TO SUGGEST AN IRREGULARITY IN JULIAN'S REGISTRATION AS A VOTER.

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM DIANA BROOKS (JULIAN LEWIS MP's PARLIAMENTARY CASEWORKER) TO TERRY SCRIVEN

18 July 2008

Subject: Address

Dear Mr Scriven,

Julian understands that you have made available to a newspaper journalist the exchange of emails between Dave Yates and yourself.

As you know, and appeared to accept, there are security reasons why Julian does not wish his home address to be made public.

Will you please confirm, as soon as possible, whether you removed the ... address from these emails before you disclosed them to a third party?

Yours sincerely

Di Brooks

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM TERRY SCRIVEN TO DIANA BROOKS

18 July 2008

Subject: Re: Address

Good Evening Di,

Very nice to hear from you.

I am sure Julian is aware of my security background. I support him totally in keeping the addresses of MPs, Prospective MPs and indeed Councillors [sic] addresses private and out of the public domain (this includes journalists).

Strangely enough I have just had another email, this time from the Guardian implying I have made public Julian's address. They have got a similar response.

Moving on. I am pleased that Julian has brought the 'House' up to date with the new legislation.

I have copied this to Dave Yates for information, he must also wonder what is going on.

Look forward to seeing both you and Julian on Sunday and the Totton parade and service. It looks as though the weather will be fine.

Yours with best wishes

Terry

p.s. you sent me two emails on this subject both slightly different – I got them both – thank you.

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM DIANA BROOKS TO TERRY SCRIVEN

18 July 2008

Subject: Re: Address:

Dear Mr Scriven,

Two simple questions.

(1) Have you disclosed any of the contents of any of Dave Yates's and your e-mails about Julian's address to a newspaper reporter, or haven't you? A simple yes or no is all that is needed.

(2) If the answer is yes, then did you remove the details of his home address ... or didn't you? Once again, a simple yes or no will do.

Yours sincerely,

Di Brooks

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM TERRY SCRIVEN TO DIANA BROOKS

Subject: Re: Are you Going To Reply To My Email? A straight yes or no will suffice.

19 July 2008

Dear Di,

I think you need to read my mails carefully and I also think you need to think carefully about how you phrase your emails.

Finally – let us just be clear about the role/capacity you are writing what appear to be demanding emails to me.

See you Sunday.

Best wishes

Terry

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM DIANA BROOKS TO TERRY SCRIVEN

19 July 2008

Subject: Are you Going To Reply To My Email? A straight yes or no will suffice.

Dear Mr Scriven,

It is quite clear from your latest reply that you are not prepared to answer the two simple questions. Julian and I shall therefore draw the obvious conclusion.

Yours sincerely

Di Brooks

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM TERRY SCRIVEN TO DIANA BROOKS

19 July 2008

Subject: Re: Are you Going To Reply To My Email? A straight yes or no will suffice.

Dear Ms Brooks,

I think my response to your initial email is perfectly adequate at this point in time. This is especially so given that you have not had the courtesy to tell me what your role or interest is in this matter. Indeed I think most reasonable people will see your approach as quite rude.

I suspect it may be more appropriate that if Julian Lewis has got a problem with something he thinks I have done he contacts me direct to discuss it personally. My home telephone number is [Gives number] although I am attending a number of functions over the weekend. One of those is that in Totton which he and I are both attending tomorrow. Although I have been asked by the Royal British Legion to perform some specific tasks during the ceremony I am sure that an appropriate opportunity can be found when I can clear up any confusions [sic] Julian Lewis himself might have.

Best wishes

Terry Scriven

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM DIANA BROOKS TO TERRY SCRIVEN

19 July 2008

Subject: Re: Are you Going To Reply To My Email. A straight yes or no will suffice.

Dear Mr Scriven,

I have spoken to Julian and he says there is no confusion at all about your refusal to answer the simple question whether or not it was you who was the source of the Sunday Telegraph reporter having seen email correspondence between Dave Yates and yourself.

You have been repeatedly asked if this was the case and you have repeatedly failed to deny it. Julian says that all he wants to know is whether you conveyed the content of the email correspondence to the Sunday Telegraph reporter or not; and, if you did, whether you at least had the decency to remove Julian's home address from the material made available to the Sunday Telegraph reporter.

He has asked me to reiterate these two questions as many times as it takes to get a direct answer from you.

Will you now kindly provide it without further irrelevance or delay? Did you do this or didn't you?

Yours sincerely

Di Brooks

[NOTE: Scriven did not reply.]

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20 July 2008: LETTER FROM JULIAN LEWIS TO TERRY SCRIVEN

By hand

Dear Mr Scriven,

Disclosure of my Home Address to a Journalist

I enclose an exchange of e-mails between Mrs Brooks, of my office, and you. These are self-explanatory.

I need to know whether or not my home address has been disclosed to a particular journalist who told senior New Forest District Council officials that he had seen Dave Yates's e-mail correspondence about it. This has implications for the future security of my home, particularly because the journalist in question has been campaigning for the publication of MPs' home addresses.

Will you now, without further prevarication, state (i) whether or not you were the source of the disclosure of this e-mail correspondence to a newspaper reporter, and (ii) if you were, did you remove the details of my home address ... before disclosing the e-mails?

This is a very simple matter to clear up. Please do so, in writing, without further delay.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Lewis

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TEXT OF E-MAIL FROM DIANA BROOKS TO TERRY SCRIVEN

21 July 2008

Subject: Address

Dear Mr Scriven,

I understand from Julian that he has left a message for you [on the answering machine on the telephone number supplied by Scriven] that he expects a reply to the straightforward question he has asked you either by email to me or fax to [Gives Cadnam fax number] by 9.45am tomorrow morning (22 July). In the absence of a clear answer, which you have so far failed to give, he will conclude that you were indeed the source of a newspaper reporter knowing the contents of the email correspondence between you and Dave Yates and that you did not remove Julian's home address from it.

Julian regards this as a very serious matter and will feel free to speak publicly about it.

Yours sincerely

Di Brooks

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[NOTE: For Julian's speech in Parliament, exposing Terry Scriven's behaviour, click here, and for Scriven's disgraceful attempt to have Julian criminally investigated by the Police over this matter, click here.]

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