The UK Government is rushing the so-called “Police Bill” through Parliament.
The bill features several eye-catching items, such as power to ministers and police to curb “non-violent protest” and that assault on a “dead” statue gives a longer maximum sentence than assault on a living emergency worker.
Yesterday MPs voted for the newer, stricter rules despite the fact that protests actually gave them the power they now have. A few generations ago many of these politicians would not have had the right to be elected to Parliament let alone to vote, themselves, in an election.
This Government seems to normalise speeding up processes and avoiding Parliament’s right and duty to examine their bills before they become law. There is a very obvious risk that this results in laws which undermine the democracy and citizens’ basic rights.
STANCE NEWS 