Thread by @petermbenglish

My email to my MP (Chris Grayling) about the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill…
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Dear Chris,

I'm sure that, as a former Home Secretary, you will be as concerned as I am about the events of last night.

Of course, the reason why protest is not permitted at present is the Covid-19 regulations, which I  broadly support.
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We hope, of course, that within a year or so - possibly even within months - the restrictions necessary for the control of Covid-19 will become a distant memory. However, undue restrictions on protest look like they may continue as a consequence of…
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…as a consequence of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which I believe will be debated in Parliament tomorrow. Joshua Rozenberg has outlined some of the concerns with the bill.
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I urge you, please - especially following yesterday's disturbances, NOT to pass this bill at this time, but to ensure there is plenty of time to ensure that peaceful protest will remain lawful. It is very concerning that the executive (the Home Secretary) would…
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…(the Home Secretary) would be able to make decisions as to what sort of protest is lawful; a situation one would expect in a totalitarian state, not a liberal democracy.
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