Patel implores MPs to back controversial protest bill as it returns to Commons

21 February 2022, 00:01 | Updated: 21 February 2022, 07:53

The Home Secretary has written to MPs imploring them to back her controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill after it was mauled by peers.

The House of Lords inflicted a string of defeats on the bill last month, with the upper chamber rejecting measures designed to combat tactics adopted by groups including Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain.

Ministers will "continue fighting" to bring in increased police powers for dealing with "highly disruptive protests", Home Office officials said.

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The policy has sparked Kill The Bill demonstrations across the country, including gatherings that have turned violent.

The bill returns to the Commons next week for a protracted round of parliamentary ping-pong, where legislation passes between the two houses until an agreement is reached.

Ahead of this, Priti Patel has decided to write to all 650 MPs calling on them to pass the legislation "soon".

She argues too many criminals are "getting off" with light sentences while the bill is in limbo, with people feeling "unsafe walking the streets or in their own homes".

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Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, said crime is "rising" and Ms Patel was "refusing" to take "major steps" to keep communities safe.

She added: "Priti Patel is also still trying to criminalise people for protesting noisily or singing in the street rather than tackling serious crime.

"Too often under the Tories, criminals are getting away with it and victims are being let down."

The Home Office said the revised version of the draft law going before the Commons will see a number of measures tightened, including extending the time limit for prosecution of common assault or battery in domestic abuse cases.

The "enhanced" version of the draft legislation will also include introducing Harper's Law, which will extend mandatory life sentences to those convicted of the unlawful manslaughter of an on-duty emergency worker, officials said.

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It follows a campaign by the widow of Pc Andrew Harper, who was killed while responding to a bike theft by three teenagers.

Other changes include increasing the maximum penalties for child cruelty offences, extending football banning orders to include online abuse, and introducing a new offence to tackle attempts to film or photograph breastfeeding without consent.

Announcing her intention to write to MPs on Monday, the Home Secretary said: "We are putting more police officers on the streets, removing dangerous weapons and bearing down on violent criminals who prey on vulnerable people in our communities.

"But while violent crime has fallen, there are still too many criminals getting off with inadequate sentences for appalling acts of violence and sexual offences and still people who feel unsafe walking the streets or in their own homes.

"This bill is vitally important as we overhaul the criminal justice system and make our streets safer.

"It must be passed soon so that we can continue to cut crime, reduce violence and protect women and girls."

Sadiq Khan calls for misogyny to be made a hate crime.

In the Commons, the Government could use its majority to overturn the defeats inflicted by the unelected chamber.

Ms Patel will use her letter to set out why she is opposing a host of Lords amendments, including contesting adding misogyny to existing hate crime laws and opting against establishing two new specific offences relating to "sex for rent".

On the call for further measures to be introduced to tackle "sex for rent" exploitation, she will instead commit to carrying out a public consultation by the summer recess in a bid to ensure "we have the right legislation in place", department aides said.

Addressing adding misogyny as a hate crime, the Home Office cited how a Law Commission review had found that legislating to make misogyny a hate crime would prove "more harmful than helpful" to victims of violence against women and girls.

The Home Secretary will welcome a Lords' amendment which will enable a local authority to quickly establish a buffer zone around schools and vaccination centres if targeted by harmful and disruptive protests.

The bill will be back in the Commons for consideration on Monday February 28.