British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds meeting with police chiefs on Wednesday
London:
Prime Minister Sunak said on Wednesday that Britain was slipping into “mob rule” and police would do more to protect the country’s democracy, after the government announced extra funding to keep MPs safe.
Many British MPs say abuses against them have worsened since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, triggering the war in Gaza, and some fear their safety will be affected if they express their views on the conflict.
Parliament was thrown into chaos last week amid tensions over the Gaza vote, with the Speaker of the House of Commons saying lawmakers had received “terrible” threats for deciding to break with usual parliamentary procedures.
According to remarks released by Sunak’s office, “There is growing consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule. We all must collectively and urgently change this.”
“We simply cannot allow this pattern of increasingly violent and intimidating behavior, which in anyone’s view is designed to stifle free debate and prevent elected representatives from carrying out their duties. This is simply undemocratic.”
I will do whatever it takes to defend our democracy and our values. https://t.co/TPA13Zkye2
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 28, 2024
Earlier, the Home Office announced £31 million ($39 million) in funding to provide extra security for MPs and other officials.
Sunak said the new Democratic Policing Protocol would commit to tougher patrols and make it clear that protests at the homes of elected representatives should be considered an act of intimidation.
He said it also made clear that from now on police should take a “consistent and robust approach… to protect our democratic processes from intimidation, disruption and subversion”.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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