Ministers consider ban on MPs engaging with pro-Palestine and climate protesters

Members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign protest outside parliament on 21 February. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Ministers are considering proposals to ban MPs and councillors from engaging with groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.

The plans, put forward by the government’s adviser on political violence, John Woodcock, say mainstream political leaders should tell their representatives to employ a “zero-tolerance approach” to groups that use disruptive tactics or fail to stop “hate” on marches.

Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly, the home secretary, are due to discuss the proposals as part of a review conducted by Woodcock, the former Labour MP who now sits as Lord Walney, a crossbench peer.

The prime minister was condemned by human rights groups for warning of “forces here at home trying to tear us apart” during a hastily arranged address in Downing Street on Friday. On Wednesday, he was accused of exaggerating tensions at protests after he warned of “mob rule” in the UK.

In an article in the Sun on Sunday, Walney wrote: “My review on political violence is about to be formally submitted to the prime minister and the home secretary.

“In it, I am asking the leader of every mainstream political party to take a zero-tolerance approach to the menace that is threatening our democracy.

“So Rishi and Keir [Starmer] should instruct their MPs and councillors not to engage with anyone from the PSC until they get their house in order and cut the hate from their marches.”

The proposals are politically convenient for the government because, if accepted, they would put further pressure on the Labour leader over his party’s stance on pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Several sitting Labour MPs have attended PSC events – including the former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and the MP for Poplar and Limehouse, Apsana Begum. Labour has refused to suspend MPs who have attended events, despite demands from senior Tories, because PSC is not a proscribed organisation.

Tories have previously engaged in talks with Extinction Rebellion, including the levelling up secretary, Michael Govem whose department is working on the definition of extremism as part of its brief.

While environment secretary in 2019, Gove met Extinction Rebellion and said afterwards he shared their “high ideals” to tackle the climate crisis.

Starmer is already under pressure to allow Labour representatives more freedom to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza, after George Galloway’s emphatic byelection victory on Thursday in Rochdale, where nearly 40% of the population is Muslim.

Many within Labour believe it points to anger felt by Muslims over the party’s position on Israel. A shadow frontbencher questioned whether the Labour leadership had gone far enough in dispelling false narratives on pro-Palestine marches.

“We talk about Rishi’s cowardice and how long it took him to come out and stop the messages of hate that have been spewing from the likes of Lee Anderson and Suella Braverman,” they told the Guardian.

“But what’s the difference between what Labour has said and what the Tories have said on these protests? We can’t allow pro-Palestinian protesters to be dehumanised as a Labour party.”

Another shadow frontbencher said: “The anger we have seen is about the extreme asymmetry of this war. A totally dominant force against a relatively underarmed opponent.

“People are disgusted by the October attacks but my frustration is that for years, we, Labour, haven’t given the situation in Gaza the attention it deserved. The leadership needs to fix this ASAP.”

Asked if Walney was right and that MPs should cut ties with the group, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that MPs needed to take care in terms of the associations with individuals or organisations.

“But I do think it is important to stress that the right to protest is an important fundamental right in our democracy,” she said. “That does mean that people will take part in marches or protests where politicians might not agree. But that is part of our democracy and that is really precious.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are considering the report’s recommendations extremely carefully and will respond in due course.”