Hello,
I want to update you on where things stand and be very clear about what we now need to do.
Because of the pressure you helped create, MPs did object to the Government’s attempt to quietly push through new protest restrictions. That mattered. It forced this proposal into the open and stopped it slipping through Parliament without scrutiny. In fact it was probably the best thing I’ve heard so far this year.
That was a real win. But it was only a partial one.
The proposal is still alive. It will return to Parliament, and MPs will soon be asked to decide whether to approve it or reject it. We now have until Wednesday 14 January to make sure as many MPs as possible are prepared to vote against it.
This is the decisive phase.
What happens next will not be decided by polite process or quiet concern. It will be decided by pressure. Direct, visible, unavoidable pressure from constituents.
Emails help. But at this stage, they are not enough on their own.
We need MPs to feel that this issue is real, that it is urgent, and that people are prepared to show up for it.
That means asking you, if you can, to take this a step further.
Please contact your MP by email or phone and ask them plainly whether they will vote against these regulations when they are heard in Parliament. Ask for a clear answer. If they say they support them or refuse to commit, challenge that. This proposal dramatically expands police powers and restricts protest in ways that go far beyond the issue it is being framed around. MPs need to know that their constituents understand that and are watching closely.
If you are able to, I also urge you to visit your MP’s constituency office. Turning up in person matters. It shows commitment. It shows seriousness. Even if your MP isn’t available, speaking to their staff and leaving a written message makes a real impact. Offices keep records of this. It gets noticed.
Join us in Parliament and speak to your MP face to face
And if you can get to Parliament, this is where we can make the strongest impression of all.
I will be in Parliament on Monday from 1pm onwards to green card my MP, and I would love to see as many of you there as possible.
Green carding is simply the parliamentary system for requesting a meeting with your MP in person. You go to Parliament, fill in a green card with your name, address, and your MP’s name, and submit it. Parliamentary staff then try to locate your MP in the building and ask whether they will come and meet you. Sometimes you get a face to face conversation. Sometimes you speak to a member of their staff. Either way, it puts this issue directly in front of them, in the place where decisions are being made.
It is completely legitimate, completely peaceful, and open to any constituent. You do not need special access. You do not need an appointment. You just need to show up.
And that is why it matters so much.
MPs are far more likely to oppose something when they know people are prepared to take time out of their day, travel to Parliament, and look them in the eye to say this matters to me, and I expect you to vote against it.
You can RSVP to let us know you plan on coming here.
These regulations would significantly expand police powers to restrict protest by classifying the “life sciences” sector as key national infrastructure. The wording is broad. The powers are sweeping. And the precedent is deeply worrying. This does not stop at one issue. It affects environmental protest, trade union activity, community action, and the fundamental right to peacefully dissent.
We have already shown that MPs will listen when enough people speak up.
Now we need to turn that momentum into votes.
Please do not assume someone else will do this. Please do not wait to see how it plays out. This is the moment when showing up really can change the outcome.
If you can be in Parliament on Monday, please come. If you cannot, contact your MP, visit their office, and make sure they know you are watching this closely.
We stopped this once. Now we need to stop it properly.
Thank you for standing with us when it truly matters.
Rob
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This is good news! I will try emailing my MP again but even when I have been more direct (a yes or no), he often just sends the exact same bog standard email back anyway, but I will try again and be more direct.
This is an extract from a response I got from my MP Richard Foord Lib Dem, it appears to say he will not support this change. I hope he is there in person to make his views known, can they vote if not present?
“We can, and must, support our life sciences sector here in the UK, but we can do that without infringing upon the right to peaceful protest. This is what Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for, and we will oppose this change to the Public Order Act.”