Crime commissioner backs controversial government Public Order Bill to increase police powers with stop and search and banning orders to stop crimes

Hampshire and Isle of Wight’s police and crime commissioner Donna Jones wants police to have increased stop and search powers and use banning orders to stop crimes from being committed and mass public disruption across the UK. The comments come after the proposed new law was debated in the House of Lords this week.

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Ms Jones said: ‘The public have had enough. The mass distribution to law abiding citizens going about their business has to stop. That’s why this new legislation is vital to give the police the legal flexibility they need to ensure public disruptions don’t continue.

‘Whilst I back the Bill, I also want to make clear I strongly support people’s right to protest, in freedom of speech, when lawful.’

‘Freedom of speech is an absolute requirement of all civilised societies. But it must be done in a lawful, civilised way.’

The Public Order Bill - which directly affects civil disobedience groups such as XR, Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain - faced a number of setbacks in the Lords on Monday. Firstly, peers voted in favour of a higher threshold for police to intervene in protests. Another move sought to prevent protesters from using ‘an issue of current debate’ as a defence and means to cause civil disobedience. It was narrowly defeated by 224 votes to 221, majority three.

Fareham MP and home secretary Suella Braverman said: ‘Blocking motorways and slow walking in roads delays our life-saving emergency services, stops people getting to work and drains police resources.’