An energetic demonstration, initiated by Extinction Rebellion and involving many different campaigns and activists, gathered at Parliament on 8 December to oppose the Police Bill.
Let’s make this the start of a renewed movement against the Bill, reviving the spirit of spring 2021 when tens of thousands across the country demonstrated against it.
There is not much time. The House of Lords will start voting again on 17 January, and soon after the Bill will be back in the Commons.
We need to wake up the labour movement, rousing the biggest possible sections of it to shout out and get people on the streets.
In the spring many trade unions made statements against the Bill — followed by months of silence.
In September unions finally spoke out again — but did not mobilise.
The policy passed at TUC Congress called for mobilisation of trade unionists against the Bill and a joint union rally.
Now is the time — but there is not much time.
The labour movement should back up every struggle against oppression. Moreover, the Bill poses a huge threat to organised labour specifically. It threatens any strike that is seriously disruptive and our already tightly restricted rights to picket. The government is moving amendments saying involvement in a trade dispute can be cited in defence of those charged under some of the Bill’s stipulations.
But even if the courts consistently implement this provision, it will be operative only after pickets are arrested. Meanwhile external reinforcement of pickets could become much more difficult.
Trade unions and trade unionists, and Labour members, should demand the Labour leadership uses its platform and megaphone to sound the alarm about the Bill — and get people on the streets.
At present Labour is not even a reliable parliamentary opposition.
Last week a little publicised section, circumventing data protection by forcing public bodies to hand over confidential information to the police, came close to defeat in the Lords but survived after the Labour leadership withdrew its whip and few of its members turned out.
There are still chances to at least seriously mitigate the Bill — by defeating the government amendments, and passing amendments like Alf Dubs’ to prevent seizure of Gypsies and Travellers’ homes.
If the Labour leadership will not call people out to demonstrate, left Labour MPs should.
