Is Laura Farris a ‘strong voice for Newbury?’

I WAS extremely concerned by Laura Farris’ recent speech in the House of Commons on the topic of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill.

It is important to understand that the function of an MP is to represent constituents’ interests and concerns in the House of Commons, not to act merely as a mouthpiece for their party.

Laura’s office confirmed to me that 135 constituents wrote or called and asked her to vote against the PCSC bill, and a quick scan of social media shows many more expressed deep concern regarding the right to protest that the bill sought to erode.

Yet when Farris stood up to speak in the Commons she made no mention of this deluge of contact from deeply worried voters, instead she spoke about cherry-picked parts of the bill that made for positive talking points.

She pointedly ignored the passages that would make all forms of protest – a basic human right – effectively impossible without the Home Secretary’s permission.

And she forgot all about how this bill would make the punishment for breaking these new draconian rules more severe than those handed to rapists.

It’s worth noting that so great was the concern around this bill that every single MP that was not a member of the Conservative Party united to vote against it, or abstain.

Every single vote for the flawed bill came from a Conservative.

It’s not often that a bill can so clearly polarise the house.

Remember also that Farris’ campaign revolved around the slogan “a strong voice for Newbury”.

Apparently this translates roughly to, “ignoring voters’ concerns and doing whatever the whip tells me to do, even if that means voting for a bill with overtly fascist sentiments”.

MATT LOWE

West Berkshire Green Party