“We continue to stand against all attacks on our hard-won democratic rights & freedoms. The Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill must be defeated & the government’s wider authoritarian drive must be ended.”
“This Conservative government is engaged in a disturbing authoritarian drive.
The right to vote, the right to peaceful protest and the right to take strike action are all hard-won democratic rights wrestled from the establishment by those who came before us.
Through unnecessary Voter ID requirements, anti-protest laws, and anti-union laws the Tories are attacking people’s rights to vote, protest and strike.
This attack on our hard-won rights is not separate to the assaults on people’s living standards underway under this government. The Government aims to weaken people’s ability to oppose its unjust and unpopular policies.
We cannot allow that to happen. This is why members of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs have consistently voted against the Overseas Operations Bill, the Spy Cops Bill and continue to be at the forefront of opposition in Parliament to the Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Recent events have shown why it is so important to oppose the government’s authoritarian drive.
The police’s approach to the vigil at Clapham Common horrified the public. And in recent days, scenes of totally unacceptable behavior towards protestors, legal observers and journalists by the police in Bristol warrant an independent inquiry.
The Undercover Policing Inquiry and last week’s vindication of the Shrewsbury pickets in court show the state and the establishment abusing its power even before the recent series of authoritarian pieces of legislation.
Legislation seeking to suppress the right to protest will only prompt more protests and increase conflict.
We continue to stand against all attacks on our hard-won democratic rights and freedoms. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill must be defeated and the government’s wider authoritarian drive must be ended.”
- Diane Abbott MP
- Tahir Ali MP
- Paula Barker MP
- Apsana Begum MP
- Olivia Blake MP
- Christine Blower, Member of the House of Lords
- Pauline Bryan, Member of the House of Lords
- Richard Burgon MP
- Dawn Butler MP
- Ian Byrne MP
- Dan Carden MP
- Shami Chakrabarti, Member of the House of Lords
- Katy Clark, Member of the House of Lords
- Jeremy Corbyn MP
- Bryn Davies, Member of the House of Lords
- John Hendy, Member of the House of Lords
- Rachel Hopkins MP
- Mary Kelly Foy MP
- Ian Lavery MP
- Clive Lewis MP
- Rebecca Long-Bailey MP
- John McDonnell MP
- Ian Mearns MP
- Navendu Mishra MP
- Grahame Morris MP
- Kate Osamor MP
- Kate Osborne MP
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
- Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
- Zarah Sultana MP
- Jon Trickett MP
- Claudia Webbe MP
- Mick Whitley MP
- Nadia Whittome MP
- Beth Winter MP
