Maajid Nawaz scrutinises 'dangerous' proposed Policing Bill

14 March 2021, 15:34

Maajid Nawaz's powerful stance against proposed Policing Bill

By Seán Hickey

Priti Patel is conducting a 'power grab' by looking to pass legislation which would largely criminalise protesting.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill has come under fire before it even reaches the House of Commons floor, with Labour citing "disproportionate controls on the right to protest" as justification for voting against it.

"I'm glad that the Labour Party has decided to find its mojo and oppose this," Maajid Nawaz declared, claiming that the bill is "not necessarily a healthy act to pass in parliament."

"The Home Secretary does seem to be experiencing a level of deep deep cognitive dissonance" he claimed, explaining that Priti Patel's concerns with the Met's actions last night were a result of her own legislation.

"On the one hand the Government is promoting all of this, on the other hand asking the head of the Met, Cressida Dick, to submit a report of what happened last night at the vigil."

"How does that make sense?" He wondered.

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Referencing the Policing Bill, Maajid urged listeners to "not let them get away with this."

He warned that the proposed bill, which criminalises "one person protests," protests that cause inconvenience and even protests that could be too loud, is another power grab from the Government under the guise of something innocent.

"The root of all this is the Government. The emergency powers, the power grab at the top, the way in which there's been no transparency around those power grabs."

He stressed that Priti Patel "wants even more power than what you saw exercised yesterday," while at the same time "signalling to the public that it is the police that are responsible."

"This bill as it currently stands, and as we currently read it, needs to be voted down."

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