On Monday Conservative MP Anna Soubry was shouted at , accused of being a Nazi, followed and blocked from entering Parliament (Photo: George Cracknell Wright / Alamy Live News)

Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest are a fundamental part of our laws, our democracy and our culture in the UK – and that’s something we should be proud of.

But in Westminster recently, a small but persistent group of men have been abusing that right to push the limits of the law, harass an increasingly wide range of people in public life, and tarnish our traditionally polite and respectful culture.

On Monday it was Conservative MP Anna Soubry who was shouted at, accused of being a Nazi, followed and blocked from entering Parliament by an aggressive group of men believed to have strong connections with the far-right. I admire Anna for keeping her cool, challenging their slurs on live TV and calling on the police to take action.



The same group have harassed campaigners, journalists and politicians from Owen Jones and Femi Oluwole, to Michael Gove and Kay Burley. One man yesterday shouted racial abuse at a police officer.


Pro-and anti-Brexit protesters have been a near-permanent fixture outside Parliament for over a year now. The vast majority are peaceful, good-humoured and even friendly towards one another and passersby.

We shouldn’t tolerate words like ‘traitor’ and ‘mutineer’ being bandied around.

The fact they care so deeply about the future of our country that they are willing to stand for hours in the rain, snow, heat and cold is a sign of a healthy democracy. We must not allow a handful of extremists to convince us we are on the brink of mass civil unrest.

On the radio this morning, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay used Anna’s appalling treatment as a reason to avoid extending democracy through a People’s Vote on his Government’s deal. It was a cowardly excuse that not only failed to stand up to these thugs – but played into their hands.

I understand why people might fear that giving the public a say could deepen divisions in our society. Some of the rhetoric in the run-up to the 2016 referendum was hateful and provocative – and led ultimately to the brutal murder of Jo Cox by a man obsessed with Nazism.

But Jo was right when she said ‘we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us’ – and it is that core truth that will allow us to heal our communities.

Lots of us rightly have strong feelings about Brexit, and it can at times feel as though we will never be reconciled with the ‘other side’. But that distance will never be bridged if we don’t confront what divides us.

I believe a People’s Vote campaign, built on frank and honest debate, and committed to addressing the very real grievances which led so many to vote Leave – could be a crucial part of that process.

If we secure a People’s Vote, all sides should commit to challenging unduly aggressive language and conduct when we see it (Photo: Will Oliver/EPA)

All of us – but particularly politicians and the media – must learn from the vileness and violence of 2016, and the years of dog-whistle campaigning from even the highest echelons of government. We shouldn’t tolerate words like ‘traitor’ and ‘mutineer’ being bandied around, or sexist and racist terms – however veiled – entering political discourse.



And if we secure a People’s Vote, all sides should commit to challenging unduly aggressive language and conduct when we see it, standing up for our shared values and ensuring the voices of women, migrants and BAME people – who so often bear the brunt of abuse – are heard.

Politicians must absolutely be held to account, and should be able to handle robust debate – but the police must investigate reports of those who cross the line into criminal harassment, intimidation and abuse. I’ve joined colleagues in writing to the Metropolitan Police calling for action.

Failure to do so risks putting people off involvement in politics – and Brexit is too important to be left to those with the thickest skin or the most extreme views.

Don’t let the bullies outside Parliament persuade you we are living through civil war.

We are living through a difficult and complex disagreement over our shared future – and democracy and free speech are the only way forward.

We must not allow those who abuse our democratic freedoms to undermine everyone else’s rights.

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