Markus Andrews

A Data Reform Bill to enable the UK to reform its data protection regime and deviate from EU rules has been announced.The Government said it wants to use Brexit as an opportunity to replace “highly complex” data protection laws inherited from the European Union.The Bill, included in the Queen’s Speech, would be used to reform the existing General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act, which the Government describes as complex and says currently encourages “excessive paperwork”.The Government said the Bill would look to streamline data protection laws and cut red tape, reducing the burden on businesses by creating a more flexible, outcomes-focused approach “rather than box-ticking exercises” while also introducing clearer rules around personal data use.

I’d imagine we’d see more of a pruning than root and branch reform, but hopefully we’re not left waiting too long to find outRafi Azim-Khan, head of data privacy at law firm PillsburyFull details of the proposals have not yet been published, but it has been reported that as part of the reforms the web cookie consent banners that appear when visiting a website could be scrapped.The Government said the changes would help increase the competitiveness of UK businesses and boost the economy.The proposals also include plans to modernise the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data watchdog, to make sure it has the capabilities and powers to take stronger action against organisations that breach data rules.Rafi Azim-Khan, head of data privacy at law firm Pillsbury, said the Government’s plans for data reform were not surprising, but warned against a large departure from EU law, which could risk the UK’s data adequacy ruling from the EU, which recognises the UK’s data protection standards post-Brexit and allows the continued flow of data between the two.“There has been quite a lot of talk of the UK reforming its data laws, so this isn’t a bolt from the blue by any means,” he said.“I think there will still be quite a bit of nervousness from businesses in the weeks ahead though.“Any significant departure from the GDPR would not only mean renewed compliance efforts, but also potentially risk the UK’s EU data adequacy ruling.“I’d imagine we’d see more of a pruning than root and branch reform, but hopefully we’re not left waiting too long to find out.” More

Boris Johnson’s government has again pledged to reform renters’ rights by scrapping no-fault evictions in England — after years of failing to act.Proposals seeking to overturn section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act, which allows landlords to evict tenants without reason and with just eight weeks’ notice, were first outlined by Theresa May back in April 2019.The pledge was also included in Mr Johnson’s 2019 election manifesto, with a vow to introduce a Renters’ Reform Bill at the Queen’s Speech the same year – some 29 months ago.However, the legislation was never presented in the last session Parliament, with campaigners warning around 230,000 tenants suffered the misery of no-fault evictions since the Conservatives first made the pledge to scrap the practice.According to the government’s own figures, more than one fifth of private renters in 2019-20 did not end their last tenancy by choice, and faced an average of £1,400 in moving costs as well as likely paying increased rents.In today’s Queen’s Speech — setting out the government’s agenda for next Parliament — ministers again vowed to introduce a “Renters’ Reform Bill”.The government claimed it would deliver a “better deal for renters through reforms” to the 4.4 million households in England’s private rented sector.It added ending no-fault evictions – already abolished in Scotland – will provide “security for tenants in the private rented sectors and empowering them to challenge poor and unfair rent increase without fear of retaliatory eviction”.Possession grounds for landlords will also be reformed, with “stronger grounds for repeated incidences of rent arrears and reducing notice periods for anti-social behaviour, ensuring that they can regain their property efficiently when needed”.The government said a White Paper setting out proposals for “landmark reform in the private rented sector” will be published “shortly”, but campaigners have previously criticised the lack of action from ministers.Last month, Polly Neate, the chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, said: “It’s appalling that every seven minutes another private renter is slapped with a no-fault eviction notice despite the government promising to scrap these grossly unfair evictions three years ago”.Ms Neate, who demanded the government finally make good on its promise, added: “It’s no wonder many renters feel forgotten. Millions of private renters are living in limbo — never truly able to settle — in case their landlord kicks the out on a whim”. More

Watch live as MPs debate government agenda set out in Queen’s SpeechLabour MPs have criticised the government for a lack of strategy in tackling the cost of living crisis in today’s Queen’s speech.MP Zarah Sultana spoke out against the measures laid out at the State Opening of Parliament, saying the government has failed to “outline any plans to solve” the “biggest fall of living standards since records began”. She added that the speech “shows the Tories don’t have a clue what life is like for ordinary people”. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that the Government had to face up to the cost-of-living crisis and the challenge of a stagnating economy to “get Britain growing again”.The Labour leader said: “If the Tories had simply matched Labour’s record on growth in government, people would have had higher incomes, boosting public finances and we could have spent £40 billion more on public services without having to raise a single tax.”Instead, he said, the UK was forecast to have the slowest growth in the G7 apart from Russia in the next year, and its public services were suffering. Show latest update

1652194454Prime minister says Britain cannot ‘spend’ its way out of cost of living crisis Boris Johnson told MPs: “However great our compassion and ingenuity, we cannot simply spend our way out of this problem, we need to grow out of this problem by creating hundreds of thousands of new high-wage, high-skill jobs across the country.”Intervening, Labour MP Sarah Owen (Luton North) said Mr Johnson had yet to give an apology to the “pensioners choosing between heating and eating, an apology to the children that have gone hungry throughout school holidays, and an apology to the hundreds of thousands of family members of Covid victims that were lost during the pandemic”.Mr Johnson replied: “Of course this Government is doing all we can to help people during the pandemic, to help pensioners – and by the way it was this Government that introduced the triple lock for pensioners to protect them.”The triple lock was introduced by the previous Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, while the current Government temporarily suspended the earnings element of the triple lock for 2022/23 due to concerns over the distorting impact of the coronavirus crisis on wages.Mr Johnson went on to defend support offered by the Government to help people, adding: “Be in no doubt, this is what I think everybody in this country needs to understand, what we’re doing is making sure that we have a strong economy with high-wage, high-skill jobs that will enable us to take this country forward.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:541652194223Opinion: Just saying things isn’t enough, prime minister – even if you can get Prince Charles to say them for you“The words ‘cost of living’ appeared in the intro, slotted in right at the top and dutifully read out by Prince Charles while Prince William on the other side of the crown and stared into the middle distance, trying not to look the long decades of his terrifyingly tedious future too closely in the eye.Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:501652193927Prime minister says the government will have ‘fiscal firepower to help families’ after 2024Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that, after 2024, the Government will have “the fiscal firepower to help families up and down the country”.He added: “My right honourable friend the Chancellor and I will be saying more about this in the days to come. But at the same time as we help people, we need the legislative firepower to fix the underlying problems in energy supply, in housing, in infrastructure and in skills which are driving up costs for families across the country.“And this Queen’s Speech takes those issues head on. And above all, we are tackling the economic challenges with the best solution of all and that is an ever growing number of high wage, high skill jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs.“And we drive up employment by creating the right platform for business to invest, making our streets safer, 20,000 more police, creating a healthier population, 50,000 more nurses, funding the NHS to help them clear the Covid backlogs and giving the confidence that people know that they will be looked after in old age by fixing social care.“Delivering gigabit broadband, giving the remotest parts of the country have the access that they need, and using our Brexit freedoms to enable revolutionary technologies like gene editing to help our farmers grow more nutritious and more productive crops.“And it’s that combination of public and private sector together that is tackling unemployment with half a million people more on the payroll now before the pandemic began.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:451652193623Prime minister calls Starmer the ‘leader of the opposition of the moment’Boris Johnson is met with cheers in the Commons as he repeatedly calls Sir Keir Starmer “the leader of the opposition of the moment” as a jibe against the latter’s Beergate allegations. Read more about the Labour leader’s Beergate scandal and how it differs from Partygate:Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:401652193430Prime minister says despite aftershocks of pandemic still being felt, Britain will be fastest-growing economy in G7 by 2024Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK will be again the fastest-growing economy in the G7 by 2024.He added: “As we come to the halfway point of this Parliament, this country has seen off the biggest challenge any post-war government has faced, but the cost of the pandemic has been huge with the biggest fall in output for 300 years that necessitated government expenditure of £400 billion and the aftershocks are still being felt across the world with a global spike in energy prices, the impact we are seeing on the cost of food, and it’s precisely because this Government got the big calls right and made the tough decisions during the pandemic that we had the fastest economic growth in the G7 last year and will return to that status by the way by 2024.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:371652192970Labour leader thanks Queen for her ‘commitment to public duty’Sir Keir Starmer earlier paid tribute to the Queen, telling MPs: “Her dedication to Britain has been a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world, her commitment to public duty a reminder of the responsibilities we all owe each other, her dignity and her leadership an inspiration to all of us.“She will forever have all of our thanks for 70 years of service to our country. We all wish her well.”He added: “I also want to congratulate the Prime Minister, he’s achieved a new first, the first resident of Downing Street to be a constituent of a Labour council. I’m sure they will serve him well.”Sir Keir also thanked the mover and seconder of the Queen’s Speech, noting how Fay Jones could be an “iron lady in the making” after her exploits in completing an “ironman” race.Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:291652192779Prime minister pays tribute to late Sir David AmessBoris Johnson has paid tribute to late Sir David Amess as he said time will not ‘diminish the shock’ of his death. More

Watch live as MPs debate government agenda set out in Queen’s SpeechLabour MPs have criticised the government for a lack of strategy in tackling the cost of living crisis in today’s Queen’s speech.MP Zarah Sultana spoke out against the measures laid out at the State Opening of Parliament, saying the government has failed to “outline any plans to solve” the “biggest fall of living standards since records began”. She added that the speech “shows the Tories don’t have a clue what life is like for ordinary people”. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that the Government had to face up to the cost-of-living crisis and the challenge of a stagnating economy to “get Britain growing again”.The Labour leader said: “If the Tories had simply matched Labour’s record on growth in government, people would have had higher incomes, boosting public finances and we could have spent £40 billion more on public services without having to raise a single tax.”Instead, he said, the UK was forecast to have the slowest growth in the G7 apart from Russia in the next year, and its public services were suffering. Show latest update

1652194454Prime minister says Britain cannot ‘spend’ its way out of cost of living crisis Boris Johnson told MPs: “However great our compassion and ingenuity, we cannot simply spend our way out of this problem, we need to grow out of this problem by creating hundreds of thousands of new high-wage, high-skill jobs across the country.”Intervening, Labour MP Sarah Owen (Luton North) said Mr Johnson had yet to give an apology to the “pensioners choosing between heating and eating, an apology to the children that have gone hungry throughout school holidays, and an apology to the hundreds of thousands of family members of Covid victims that were lost during the pandemic”.Mr Johnson replied: “Of course this Government is doing all we can to help people during the pandemic, to help pensioners – and by the way it was this Government that introduced the triple lock for pensioners to protect them.”The triple lock was introduced by the previous Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, while the current Government temporarily suspended the earnings element of the triple lock for 2022/23 due to concerns over the distorting impact of the coronavirus crisis on wages.Mr Johnson went on to defend support offered by the Government to help people, adding: “Be in no doubt, this is what I think everybody in this country needs to understand, what we’re doing is making sure that we have a strong economy with high-wage, high-skill jobs that will enable us to take this country forward.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:541652194223Opinion: Just saying things isn’t enough, prime minister – even if you can get Prince Charles to say them for you“The words ‘cost of living’ appeared in the intro, slotted in right at the top and dutifully read out by Prince Charles while Prince William on the other side of the crown and stared into the middle distance, trying not to look the long decades of his terrifyingly tedious future too closely in the eye.Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:501652193927Prime minister says the government will have ‘fiscal firepower to help families’ after 2024Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that, after 2024, the Government will have “the fiscal firepower to help families up and down the country”.He added: “My right honourable friend the Chancellor and I will be saying more about this in the days to come. But at the same time as we help people, we need the legislative firepower to fix the underlying problems in energy supply, in housing, in infrastructure and in skills which are driving up costs for families across the country.“And this Queen’s Speech takes those issues head on. And above all, we are tackling the economic challenges with the best solution of all and that is an ever growing number of high wage, high skill jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs.“And we drive up employment by creating the right platform for business to invest, making our streets safer, 20,000 more police, creating a healthier population, 50,000 more nurses, funding the NHS to help them clear the Covid backlogs and giving the confidence that people know that they will be looked after in old age by fixing social care.“Delivering gigabit broadband, giving the remotest parts of the country have the access that they need, and using our Brexit freedoms to enable revolutionary technologies like gene editing to help our farmers grow more nutritious and more productive crops.“And it’s that combination of public and private sector together that is tackling unemployment with half a million people more on the payroll now before the pandemic began.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:451652193623Prime minister calls Starmer the ‘leader of the opposition of the moment’Boris Johnson is met with cheers in the Commons as he repeatedly calls Sir Keir Starmer “the leader of the opposition of the moment” as a jibe against the latter’s Beergate allegations. Read more about the Labour leader’s Beergate scandal and how it differs from Partygate:Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:401652193430Prime minister says despite aftershocks of pandemic still being felt, Britain will be fastest-growing economy in G7 by 2024Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK will be again the fastest-growing economy in the G7 by 2024.He added: “As we come to the halfway point of this Parliament, this country has seen off the biggest challenge any post-war government has faced, but the cost of the pandemic has been huge with the biggest fall in output for 300 years that necessitated government expenditure of £400 billion and the aftershocks are still being felt across the world with a global spike in energy prices, the impact we are seeing on the cost of food, and it’s precisely because this Government got the big calls right and made the tough decisions during the pandemic that we had the fastest economic growth in the G7 last year and will return to that status by the way by 2024.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:371652192970Labour leader thanks Queen for her ‘commitment to public duty’Sir Keir Starmer earlier paid tribute to the Queen, telling MPs: “Her dedication to Britain has been a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world, her commitment to public duty a reminder of the responsibilities we all owe each other, her dignity and her leadership an inspiration to all of us.“She will forever have all of our thanks for 70 years of service to our country. We all wish her well.”He added: “I also want to congratulate the Prime Minister, he’s achieved a new first, the first resident of Downing Street to be a constituent of a Labour council. I’m sure they will serve him well.”Sir Keir also thanked the mover and seconder of the Queen’s Speech, noting how Fay Jones could be an “iron lady in the making” after her exploits in completing an “ironman” race.Maryam Zakir-Hussain10 May 2022 15:291652192779Prime minister pays tribute to late Sir David AmessBoris Johnson has paid tribute to late Sir David Amess as he said time will not ‘diminish the shock’ of his death. More

An emergency budget aimed at tackling the cost-of-living crisis has not been ruled out by a government minister, who suggested the decision was above his “pay grade”.Home Office minister Kit Malthouse also claimed the government cannot “spend our way out” of the crisis, as he downplayed the prospect of rapid help in the Queen’s Speech later today.With the public facing escalating energy costs and soaring inflation, trade unions, business leaders and opposition leaders at Westminster have urged chancellor Rishi Sunak to deliver an emergency budget to alleviate the impact on households.Speaking on Sky News, Mr Malthouse acknowledged government “alarm” at predictions by the Bank of England last week that inflation could exceed 10 per cent this year — a level not since since 1982 — with energy bills set to rise again.While support is not expected in the Queen’s speech, asked whether there would be an “emergency budget” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, he replied: “I don’t know. You’d have to get the chancellor on and talk to him about that.“I think he said in the media yesterday he is constantly reviewing what he can do to assist. We’re obviously in a time of very volatile fuel prices — they are moving around a lot — we need to see a little more about where that fuel price is going to go, before we design what may come forward.Pressed again: “Well we don’t rule anything in or out — I’m afraid you’re asking questions above my pay grade.”He added on Sky News: As far as the cost-of-living crisis is concerned, it is incredibly challenging for people out there at the moment. Obviously, legislation takes some time to put in place, it has to go through both Houses, it can often be many months, sometimes over a year, before it hits the statute book.“I do know the prime minister and chancellor are in constant conversation about how we can be agile in assisting people through this challenging time.”His comments came as Derek Lickorish — a former chair of the government’s fuel poverty advisory group — suggested around eight to 10 million households will require around £1,000 each to “get them through this very, very difficult period”.He estimated the cost to the government would be between £8 and £10 billion, and warned: “Repayment of this sum is impossible for these consumers — it has to be a grant. These are exceptional circumstances. It’s going to have to go on the government’s credit card.”Mr Lickorish, now a non-executive chairman at Utilita Energy said: ““I know the impact from our company the price increase from 1 April along with the increase in national insurance that some customers have seen.“We’ve got 140 per cent increase in our call rate to our extra care team. That’s gone from 2,000 a week that we would expect at this time of year… to 5,000 a week.”He also suggested some customers on pre-payment meters were self-disconnecting, as he called for a “substantial package to get through what is going to be the most difficult time in the history of the industry”. More

Emmanuel Macron has said the UK could be offered a closer relationship with Brussels as part of a new type of “political European community” that would include countries that haven’t joined the EU or have left.The French president, speaking to the European parliament in Strasbourg, said it would allow countries like the UK or Ukraine to decide on the level of integration they wanted with Europe.However, he poured cold water on the notion that Ukraine would be able to join the EU imminently, but in the meantime said the country, which is currently battling Russian forces, needed to be given an indication it is already a part of Europe. “Ukraine by its fight and its courage is already a heartfelt member of our Europe, of our family, of our union,” Mr Macron said.“Even if we grant it candidate status tomorrow, we all know perfectly well that the process to allow it to join would take several years indeed, probably several decades.”Rather than altering the EU’s strict standards for membership, Mr Macron suggested creating a new parallel European project that could appeal to countries who wanted to join the bloc.Britain and other countries which leave the EU could also be a part of Mr Macron’s new plan. In Berlin later on Monday, Mr Macron said the UK would be offered a “full place” in the community. He said this “European political community” would be open to democratic European nations adhering to its core values in areas such as political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment of infrastructure or circulation of people.“Joining it would not necessarily prejudge future EU membership,” he said. “Nor would it be closed to those who left it.”Relations between the pro-EU French president and Boris Johnson are frosty after repeated clashes over Brexit and fishing rights, and it remains to be seen how the proposals will be received in No 10.Mr Macron stressed that speaking about Europe’s future priorities was in stark contrast with the behaviour of Russia, who on the same day showed off their military might in a parade in Moscow to commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.“We have given two very different images of May 9,” Mr Macron said. “On the one side, there was a desire for a demonstration of force and intimidation and a resolutely war-like speech, and there was here … an association of citizens and parliamentarians — national and European — for a project on our future.”President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said he wants Ukraine to join the EU and just last month called on European leaders to prove they stood with the country as they battled Russian aggression.He said: “The European Union is going to be much stronger with us, that’s for sure. Without you, Ukraine is going to be lonesome,” he said.“Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory be to Ukraine.” Additional reporting by agencies More

The home secretary has insisted the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda sends a “clear signal” after Channel crossings hit a new record.Almost 8,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats from France so far this year, more than triple the figure seen during the same period in 2021.The Home Office announced that it would inform the first group of migrants of its intent to “relocate them to Rwanda” this week, including some who have crossed the Channel, but that flights were not expected to leave for several months.Several MPs, including former prime minister Theresa May, have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the proposals.Speaking during a visit to the Metropolitan Police specialist training centre in Kent on Monday, Priti Patel said the Rwanda agreement would “take time” amid a wave of legal challenges. She added: “When it comes to the issue of small boats, that is exactly why we changed our laws, that is why we have this partnership with Rwanda, because it’s sending out a clear signal that those that come to our country illegally, they will have no right to remain in our country, and we will use every tool and every piece of legislation that we have at our disposal to make sure that we can remove them.”Crossing the English Channel clandestinely to claim asylum was not an offence until the government changed the legal meaning of “illegal entry” in the new Nationality and Borders Act.The law, which received royal assent last month, means that refugees can now be criminalised for journeying into British waters regardless of whether their need for protection is legitimate. Following a series of court cases lost by the government over unlawful conduct relating to asylum and deportation, ministers have launched a series of attacks on lawyers.In a fresh assault, the home secretary said: “We see various hurdles and barriers, mainly from specialist law firms that want to block the removal of individuals that have no right to be in our country. That is part of the techniques that they use.”Ms Patel accused law firms of stopping deportations “day in day out”, including of foreign offenders. “The Nationality and Borders Act will give us greater powers and greater means through the changes in legislation to remove those individuals who have no legal right to be in our country,” she added.It came days after the prime minister claimed that “liberal lawyers” would attempt to scupper the deal – after Downing Street said flights to Rwanda may not start for months. A legal body warned of “real-life consequences” from repeated government targeting of the legal profession.A man is to stand trial later this year accused of plotting to kill an immigration solicitor in an attempted terror attack on a London law firm.The Law Society, which represents solicitors in England and Wales, said they “serve the rule of law and keep the government accountable”.Protesters interrupt Priti Patel speech to protest Rwanda planPresident Stephanie Boyce said: “Anyone at risk of such a life-changing order has a right to challenge its legality with the assistance of a lawyer, who has a duty to advise their client on their rights.“It is misleading and dangerous for the prime minister to name-call lawyers who are doing their job and upholding the law.”The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, said the government’s own factsheet on the Rwanda deal said that “everyone considered for relocation will have access to legal advice”.Chair Mark Fenhalls QC added: “It is unclear who will be making these decisions, or what criteria they will be applying. But, as the government acknowledges, the lawyers who provide legal advice in such cases will be fulfilling their professional duties. Attacks on men and women for simply doing their jobs are irresponsible and undermine the rule of law.” The UN Refugee Agency has vocally opposed the Rwanda deal, saying it “evades international obligations and is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention”.Legal action by groups Care4Calais, Detention Action and the PCS civil service union – which represents Border Force and Home Office staff – started last week.A pre-action letter challenged the Home Office’s failure to disclose the criteria governing which asylum seekers will be sent to Rwanda, and argue the plans are unlawful and contravene the Refugee Convention.Separately, the charity Freedom From Torture demanded disclosure of underlying policy documents and says it could launch a judicial review claim.It was seeking information on the policy, risk assessments and documents related to cooperation between the governments of the UK and Rwanda. Additional reporting by PA More

The government has been forced to draw up a new bill to bring in “draconian” protest laws backed by Priti Patel, following a humiliating defeat in the House of Lords.The Queen’s Speech is to announce the introduction of criminal offences targeting “locking on” and allowing police to stop and search peaceful protesters. Ministers attempted to enact some of the proposals previously through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.But the measures were stripped out by the House of Lords and branded “draconian and anti-democratic”, after being inserted at a late stage of parliamentary scrutiny – after the bill had been debated by MPs.Downing Street confirmed that the new Public Order Bill – which is one of 38 unveiled in the Queen’s Speech – was created following “parliament’s failure to support these urgently needed measures”.They were originally tabled as government amendments to the policing bill in November, following a wave of disruptive Insulate Britain protests. Lord Paddick, who was a deputy assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police, said at the time: “If the government is determined to bring in these draconian, anti-democratic laws, reminiscent of Cold War eastern bloc police states, they should withdraw them now and introduce them as a separate bill to allow the democratically-elected house time to properly consider them.”Downing Street said the new bill would create new criminal offences for locking on, when protesters attach themselves to objects or each other to prevent removal, and going equipped to lock on – punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment.It is expected to extend stop and search powers so the police can seize articles related to the new offences, and create “Serious Disruption Prevention Orders” for protesters.Human rights groups previously voiced deep concern over the extension of stop and search, originally designed for weapons and drugs, into peaceful protests and the prospect of banning orders for demonstrators who have committed no crime.Liberty called the proposals “some of the most dangerous and authoritarian parts” of the policing bill, which saw other controversial measures including the power to restrict noisy protests approved by parliament last month. The new Public Order Bill will also reintroduce an offence of interfering with key national infrastructure, such as airports, railways and printing presses – carrying a maximum sentence of a year in prison.Extinction Rebellion blocks News Corp Printworks in BroxbourneThe inclusion of printing presses is a reference to the 2020 Extinction Rebellion protest outside a Rupert Murdoch-owned printworks in Hertfordshire.The trial of several activists heard that Ms Patel had personally contacted Hertfordshire Police and Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick during the demonstration, seeking “early intervention and removal of the protesters”.They had been aiming to stop newspapers including The Sun and the Daily Mail being distributed over their reporting of the climate crisis.Commenting on the new proposals, the home secretary said: “The law-abiding, responsible majority have had enough of anti-social, disruptive protests carried out by a self-indulgent minority who seem to revel in causing mayhem and misery for the rest of us.“The Public Order Bill will give the police the powers they need to clamp down on this outrageous behaviour and ensure the British public can go about their lives without disruption.” More