Julie Protests Against Protests

Julie Morgan, MP for Cardiff North, has spoken out against the protests today on the roof of the House of Commons.

Julie Morgan MP said:

“I condemn the actions of the protesters who got onto the roof of the House of Commons today. They may have a legitimate case and they may want to get their points across in a forceful way, but actions like this only limit the options for other people who also want to make their case and make their points, but who do so in legitimate ways.

“This will mean that security will be tightened yet again at the Houses of Parliament, making it more difficult for people to come and speak to their MPs. I want Parliament to be as open as possible and protests like this just make it more closed.

“Security has tightened enormously since I became an MP in 1997 and although some of this has happened because of the threat of terrorism, a lot of it has to do with groups like Fathers 4 Justice and the pro-hunting campaigners who protested inside the House of Commons chamber itself.

“We live in a democracy and of course I support people’s right to protest. But I do not support an action like this which limits the opportunities of other people to protest and make their voices heard -- protests like the one we saw today impinge on the rights of others.

“We all have rights, but we also all have responsibilities. What we saw today was irresponsible behaviour."