Public Order Bill — Decline Second Reading — 23 May 2022 at 21:38

The majority of MPs voted to create new protest related offences, including "locking on", "obstructing major transport works" and "interference with use or operation of key national infrastructure", to expand police stop and search powers in relation to protests, and to give more powers to courts to deal with those convicted of protest related offences.

MPs were considering the Public Order Bill.[1][2][3]

The motion under consideration was:

  • That the Bill be now read a Second time.

The amendment rejected by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

  • That this House
  • declines to give a Second Reading to the Public Order Bill because, notwithstanding the importance of safeguarding vital national infrastructure alongside the right to protest peacefully, the Bill does not include provisions for cooperation between police, public and private authorities to prevent serious disruption to essential services, includes instead measures that replicate existing powers, includes powers that are too widely drawn and which erode historic freedoms of peaceful protest, ignores the need for effective use of existing powers and does not recognise emergency NHS services as vital national infrastructure.

The Bill included the following provisions[2][3]:

  • * to create an offence of "locking on". The offence involves attaching oneself, someone else or an object to an object or land in a manner which causes, or is intended to cause, serious disruption.
  • * to create an offence of being equipped for "locking on".
  • * to create an offence of obstructing major transport works
  • * to create an offence of interference with use or operation of key national infrastructure
  • * to permit the police to stop and search a person or vehicle if they suspect they will find items intended to be used to commit the offences of locking on, obstruction of major transport works, wilful obstruction of a highway (in a manner which may cause serious disruption) or intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance.
  • * to permit the police to stop and search people, without suspicion in designated areas at designated times, for items intended for use in connection with certain protest related offences
  • * to provide for a new "Serious disruption prevention order" which can be made on conviction for relevant protest-related offences and ban individuals being in a certain area, or carrying certain items, doing certain things or being with certain people, they may also include an electronic monitoring requirement

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Debate in Parliament |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (No)Minority (Aye)BothTurnout
Alba0 1050.0%
Alliance0 10100.0%
Con286 (+2 tell) 0080.0%
DUP4 0050.0%
Green0 10100.0%
Independent1 3080.0%
Lab0 145 (+2 tell)073.5%
LDem0 130100.0%
PC0 30100.0%
SDLP0 20100.0%
SNP0 31068.9%
Total:291 200077.3%

Rebel Voters - sorted by name

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
no rebellions

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