Policing bill threatens our democratic rights
OUR Newbury Conservative MP, Laura Farris, discussed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in last week’s Newbury Weekly News.
No matter how the Conservatives dress up this bill, as Laura Farris attempted to do last week, the bill is deeply flawed. The legislation, which would grant powers to curb actions that “result in serious disruption to the activities of an organisation” or have a “relevant impact on persons in the vicinity”, has significant implications for peaceful protest.
It threatens our democratic rights for non-violently demonstrating on issues that concern us as citizens.
Freedom of speech, association and assembly are cornerstones of British democracy. The former PM Theresa May has urged a rethink on the bill, saying “our freedoms depend on it”.
It is also mind boggling that anyone could believe that the police need to be given increased powers to deal with demonstrations and protests, especially in light of the recent woeful scenes on Clapham Common, where police officers used excessive physical force against women protesting about violence against women.
It also has significant omissions. The Labour shadow justice secretary David Lammy has explained that it could lead to harsher penalties for damaging a statue than for attacking a woman. He has also pointed out that in the 20 schedules, 176 clauses and 296 pages of the bill, women are not mentioned once. Her Majesty’s Opposition is instead calling on ministers to: Increase minimum sentences for rapists and stalkers; create a new street harassment law; introduce a new whole-life tariff for stranger abductor murder; commission a review into increasing sentences for domestic murder and providing a statutory defence for domestic abuse survivors; and legislate to make misogyny a hate crime.
Lammy has also highlighted that rape prosecutions have fallen to an all-time low under the Conservatives, something that needs to be urgently rectified.
Laura Farris mentioned in her article that later this year the Government will be publishing its strategy on violence against women and girls with new legislation potentially to follow. I very much hope that this will include
the Labour Party’s proposals, so that we can make this work.
However, the bill’s infringement of longstanding democratic rights will remain of deep concern.
This is why Labour MPs felt compelled to vote against the bill.
DR LIZ BELL
Chair, Newbury Constituency
Labour Party