A CONTROVERSIAL new policing bill sailed through Parliament last night, handing sweeping new powers to cops and judges.
MPs voted 359 to 263 to approve the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, despite Labour’s efforts under Sir Keir Starmer to sink it and campaigners’ fears it will limit protest rights.
But Justice Secretary Robert Buckland insisted he did “not see what the fuss is about” over controversial powers to curb protesters.
One of the powers imposes conditions on non-violent protests judged to be too noisy and thereby causing “intimidation or harassment”.
Tory ex-minister Tracey Crouch said the Government needed to improve the bill as ministers “need to do more to protect women”.
She added: “But rather than try and kill off this bill, we should be working cross-party to strengthen it.”
Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid said he was “particularly pleased” the bill would close a loophole in the law that allowed sports coaches and other people in positions of trust to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds who are in their care.
But Labour MPs attacked the proposed laws for removing the rights of protesters.
Labour MP Clive Efford added: “We’re witnessing a Tory-led coup without guns.”
It comes as the Ministry of Justice revealed burglars, thieves and robbers will be fitted with GPS tags for a year after they are released from jail.
Ministers say the tags will help cut crime, and hand cops extra intelligence as more than half of burglars reoffend within a year of release.
