Residents will know that I have been largely in favour of the Government’s Public Order Bill - supporting the principles behind it. Throughout the process of scrutiny, this Bill has gone through a refining process that has left us with a more focused, effective piece of legislation that I was happy to vote in favour of following today’s debate.
At its heart, the Bill is designed to protect the rights of people to go about their lives free from disruption and safe from the impact of crime. Representing an outer London constituency, one of the many reasons to support this Bill is the provisions within it to curb disruptive protests seen on our roads. It is on this basis that I chose to focus my remarks in today’s debate.
As I have set out in previous debates, there is an underlying need to strike a balance between protecting the rights to exercise free speech and protest, while preventing disproportionate disruption to people’s lives. I recognise that the vast majority of those protesting are doing so in a considerate manner, and I have always been sympathetic to many of their causes, such as those disrupting HS2 works. However, there has been a recent rise in the number of disruptive protests seeking to block roads and other parts of our national infrastructure. These protests have disrupted the lives of many of my constituents. In particular, it has affected those who rely on their vehicles to get to work, attend medical appointments and support dependents.
I welcome amendments tabled by the Government that ensure that the law is enforceable and provides greater clarity to the courts who will be tasked with implementing it.
