Despite Boris Johnson seeking to postpone the hugely controversial Policing Bill until after the local elections to prevent the massive backlash against the anti-democratic proposals impacting on the ballot box, we should still be very concerned.
Under the proposed legislation any protest march or gathering can be banned for being “annoying”. Anyone then proceeding to protest or march despite a ban, could be jailed for ten years! This is a greater punishment than for rape, burglary or assault.
That Priti Patel should bring in such draconian measures is deeply ironic. She does not have a good record of following rules in public life. She was forced to resign from the Cabinet, under Theresa May. She broke the Ministerial Code by inappropriately meeting Israeli ministers, businessmen and lobbyists, and not being candid about those meetings.
More recently allegations of bullying brought against Ms Patel resulted in the government having to pay out £370,000 in compensation and legal expenses to a former leading Home Office civil servant. A Cabinet Office inquiry found evidence that she had breached the ministerial code in following allegations of bullying in the three government departments in which she has served.
Thus Priti Patel, after Boris Johnson weakly chose to not accept the findings of the Cabinet Office inquiry, (the senior Civil Servant who undertook the inquiry, resigned in protest) now seeks to bully peaceful protesters, whose protests she might find “annoying”.
Pete Milory
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