The Government’s policing bill branded “draconian” by critics has been delayed after a week of protests in Parliament Square and outside Scotland Yard.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill passed a Commons vote at its second reading on Tuesday. Labour MP Peter Kyle, who was appointed to the committee which will examine and propose amendments to the bill, said he had been told the committee stage would start as early as next week.
But it is now not expected back in Parliament until June 24, following a series of demonstrations led by feminist activists Sisters Uncut. Kyle’s fellow Labour MPs Zarah Sultana and Ian Lavery also said the bill had been delayed. An official reason has yet to be made public. The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.
“The last week has shown that protest works. That’s why they want to ban it, and that’s why we’re fighting back,” a Sisters Uncut spokesperson said.
“The coalition that is coming together shows just how many people are angry about the brutal reality of policing in this country, and who are determined to roll back this dangerous extension of state power.
“Policing by consent is a story this country likes to tell about itself. The reality is that policing is unaccountable, aggressive and violent. Targets of police repression – working class people, racial minorities, sex workers and many others – have had enough.”