Earlier this month 47 Insulate Britain activists who caused chaos on the Surrey stretch of the M25 were convicted of a variety of offences including wilful obstruction of a highway and criminal damage.
The convictions relate to direct-action protests which took place between Junctions 6 and 14 in September 2021. These events impacted constituents in Runnymede and Weybridge, as well as thousands of other drivers seeking to use the M25 to travel to work, school and other vital commitments. It endangered the lives of the police officers called to deal with the situation, motorists and the protestors themselves.
I am glad that convictions have been secured in relation to these events. While peaceful protest is a fundamental part of our democracy, it is completely unacceptable that protestors from Insulate Britain, Just Stop Oil and other campaign groups have repeatedly blocked access to essential infrastructure, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of so many.
I raised my concerns over these protests in the House of Commons last year to highlight the extreme inconvenience and potential harm caused to my constituents, especially those seeking access to St Peter’s Hospital to obtain care and visit loved ones. You can view this above. In response to this, the Prime Minister confirmed that his intention to move ahead with legislation to give the police more powers to stop such protests, culminating in new legislation under the Public Order Act 2023. This built on new powers for police in this area under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
I wish to thank Surrey Police for their efforts in dealing with these protests and I strongly welcome the Government's actions to ensure a stronger legal framework which give the police broader tools to respond to these events.
