Capitalism is just one of several flawed models by which societies can organize and interact with each other. This model has been embedded in our society for centuries and is probably as good as any servant of our democracy, the conflict arises when it takes precedence over the people it is meant to serve.
Protect human rights and access to law
Any restrictions on the independence of our judiciary, on our human rights laws, or on the right to judicial review could represent a devastating blow to everyone’s ability to guarantee their rights and freedoms against the state. That’s why in February 2020, 29 charities and other human rights-interested groups and individuals joined together in writing an open letter on the need to protect human rights and judicial review and over 200 organisations and individuals support this statement today.
14-12-2021 – Plans to “reform” the Human Rights Act are an unashamed power grab – Liberty
10-12-2021 – Liberty’s view on Government plans to overhaul the Human Rights Act
09-11-2021 – See also, “Stand up to power” – Liberty
25-10-2021 – See also, Internet reform.
Elections Bill
There is a clear need for an elections bill which addresses the many long-standing problems with our elections, as highlighted by the Law Commission and the Committee on Standards in Public Life, but the Elections Bill fails to achieve this.
23-02-2022 – The Elections Bill could open the floodgates on party funding – Doug Cowan, Electoral Reform Society
22-02-2022 – The Electoral Commission’s letter on the Elections Bill is unprecedented – Jon Narcross, Electoral Reform Society
28-01-2022 – The government aren’t listening – make your voices heard on 5th February – Jon Narcross, Electoral Reform Society
18-01-2022 – Now it’s over to the Lords to prevent the government’s assault on democracy – Jon Narcross, Electoral Reform Society
17-01-2022 – MPs have last chance to save the UK’s freedom to vote – David Davis, openDemocracy
14-01-2022 – The government should stop and re-think Elections Bill as it returns to the Commons – Jon Narcross, Electoral Reform Society
14-01-2022 – On Monday MPs have a chance to pass an election bill that actually works – Jon Narcross, Electoral Reform Society
17-12-2021 – Even senior MPs agree the government needs to pause and rethink the Elections Bill – Michela Palese, Electoral Reform Society.
13-12-2021 – Election reform proposals ‘lack evidence base, consultation, and transparency’ – Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
07-12-2021 – Dominic Grieve is just the latest conservative to call for a halt to the Elections Bill – Sadie Livingston, Electoral Reform Society
06-12-2021 – Elections Bill is ‘a threat’ to Electoral Commission independence, says chairman – Christopher McKeon, The Independent
25-10-2021 – Elections Bill Action Centre – Unlock Democracy
24-09-2021 – New Poll Finds Majority of Public in Favour of PR – Make Votes Matter
06-09-2021 – Briefing on the Elections Bill – Second Reading – Electoral Reform Society
31-08-2021 – Response to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry on the Elections Bill – Electoral Reform Society.
23-07-2021 – What is the Elections Bill? And why is it an issue? – Michela Palese, Electoral Reform Society.
20-07-2021 – How can we better regulate our elections? – Michela Palese, Electoral Reform Society.
13-07-2021 – Democracy is in retreat – and the government’s Elections Bill fails to face up to the challenge – Stephen Kinnock MP
09-07-2021 – Elections Bill: Has the government jumped the gun? – Jon Narcross, Electoral Reform Society.
18-06-2021 – Government confirms plans for ‘Elections Bill’ – including making it harder to vote – Josiah Mortimer, Electoral Reform Society.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
The new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill – known as the Police Crackdown Bill – will criminalise people who take to the streets to have their voices heard and give police more powers to shut down protests.
18-01-2022 – Lords defeats for government’s protest clamp-down plans – BBC
13-01-2022 – As a former officer, I’m horrified by England and Wales’s Police Bill – Richard Ecclestone, openDemocracy
04-01-2022 – Add your name to defend the right to protest – Friends of the Earth
17-12-2021 – Why you should be worried about the new Policing Bill – Jack Bullett, Greenpeace
07-12-2021 – How Priti Patel’s new policing bill threatens your right to protest – Hannah Westwater, The Big Issue
02-12-2021 – 5 ways the Government’s Policing Bill just went from bad to worse – Liberty
01-12-2021 – Jailed for 51 weeks for protesting? Britain is becoming a police state by stealth – George Monbiot, The Guardian
25-11-2021 – New powers to stop and search protesters and make ‘locking on’ a crime added to controversial policing bill – Lizzie Dearden, The Independent
25-11-2021 – Priti Patel has quietly been stuffing even more punitive anti-protest powers into the policing bill – Ian Dunt, i News
09-11-2021 – See also, “Stand up to power” – Liberty
28-06-2021 – Two thirds of public concerned by plans to ‘criminalise protest’, polling shows – Lizzie Dearden, The Independent
22-03-2021 – What is the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and how will it change protests? – Dominic Casciani, BBC
14-04-2021 – Does peaceful protest work? – Lowri Evans, Greenpeace
14-03-2021 – New anti-protest bill raises profound concern and alarm, human rights groups say – Aubrey Allegretti and Maya Wolfe-Robinson, The Guardian
Vaccine Passports
At a time when trust in this Government has been destroyed, it asks us to put our faith in it to bring in more restrictions and surveillance. Yet again this is being done without due process because this is being brought in without a vote by MPs.
24-12-2021 – Legal challenge to the English covid pass scheme – Big Brother Watch
08-12-2021 – Vaccine passport plans a dangerous distraction – Liberty
