When it comes to home affairs, this Government seems more focused on proposing divisive, headline-grabbing policies than providing basic functions of government, including the most fundamental, keeping its citizens safe.

At the same time as it is introducing draconian laws to clampdown on citizens’ freedoms, there are appallingly low charge rates for rape and sexual offences, worrying levels of
violent crime, thousands of criminals going unpunished, victims withdrawing from the investigation process because they do not believe that they will see justice, and hundreds of police officers being hired despite their prior convictions and close links with criminals.

On law and order, and on immigration, the Home Office is failing significantly, but instead of trying to fix it, the Government proposes policies like criminalising protesters or deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda.

With regard to the Public Order Bill, I think that the threshold for triggering the new offences contained within it is too low and casts the net too wide, and it therefore criminalises legitimate, peaceful protests and non-criminal action. I also think that the Bill will disproportionately interfere with human rights legislation and that there are not enough safeguards in place to prevent this from happening.

For these reasons I have voted against the Public Order Bill at every opportunity, most recently at the Bill’s Third Reading in the House of Commons on 18 October 2022. My
Opposition Colleagues and I have also backed amendments to curtail the new powers in the Bill, however, sadly, these have all been defeated by the Government.

The Bill is currently being considered in the House of Lords where I hope that amendments will have a better chance of success. When it returns to the House of Commons, my Opposition Colleagues and I will continue to oppose it.

With regard to the Bill of Rights, I believe that the current Human Rights Act (HRA) works well and should not be replaced. I am proud that in 1998, the then Government introduced the HRA, which brings important rights home, giving our most vulnerable citizens a powerful means of redress. It protects the powerless against the might of the strong and the dictates of the State. That is why I robustly defend the HRA, as well as Britain’s continued membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

I note that even though the Bill of Rights was published over six months ago, it has still not had a date set for its Second Reading. This indicates that even Ministers may recognise
that there are significant issues with their plans.

I can assure you that I will continue to follow any developments with the Bill of Rights closely and, if and when it is presented to Parliament, my Opposition Colleagues and I will oppose it.