Call to ban politicians from engaging with controversial groups

Politicians urged to cut ties with groups behind Palestine marches

Politicians are being urged to distance themselves from groups like the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which have been involved in organizing protests across the country. The government's anti-political violence Tsar, John Woodcock, is calling on leaders like Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to ban their MPs and councillors from interacting with these groups until they address issues of hate speech.

Concerns over anti-Semitic sentiments and illegal tactics

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign's protests have been marred by anti-Semitic chants and calls for the destruction of Israel, raising concerns about genocidal implications. Woodcock also highlighted the need to sever ties with groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, who resort to illegal tactics to draw attention to their causes.

Political figures linked to controversial groups

Several Labour MPs, including John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, have ties to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Woodcock emphasized the importance of addressing thuggery and disruptive tactics that could undermine democracy, calling for a reset in the approach to handling such issues.

Recommendations to combat political violence

Woodcock's recommendations, part of a report on tackling political violence in Britain, are set to be presented to the Prime Minister. The call to action comes amidst concerns raised by the PM about extremist forces seeking to sow division and discord in the country.

Support for the call to action

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have expressed support for addressing unacceptable and intimidatory behavior in the political sphere. Recent incidents of abuse and protests targeting politicians underscore the urgency of addressing such issues to safeguard democracy and public discourse.