05/07/10 - Chris Kelly MP calls for law to be strengthened against rallies

Chris Kelly MP is calling on Home Office ministers to extend Police powers to ban marches and demonstrations to cover rallies, which are at the moment exempt from the legislation.

The English Defence League (EDL) get around legislation that might be used to ban their activities (which come at a huge cost to taxpayers) and Mr Kelly is meeting with Crime Prevention Minister, James Brokenshire MP, and his officials at the Home Office on Wednesday 7 July to urge them to give Police the powers to ban rallies when there is a serious risk to public order. Mr Kelly has also raised the issue with Police Minister, Nick Herbert MP.

Mr Kelly said: “Council taxpayers in Dudley South and the rest of the Dudley Borough want to see their money spent on essential public services and not on policing demonstrations by organisations like the EDL. The group has caused disruption to towns across the country including Dudley. A loophole that allows the EDL to call their activity a rally not a march so as to escape a potential ban should be closed.”

The bill for the protection of public spaces whenever the EDL choose to assemble in our area, which they are planning to do again on Saturday 17 July can reach six figures. The cost of preparations, policing and repairing damage on the April demonstration cost Dudley Council approximately £150,000. However, this doesn’t account for the cost to traders who missed a busy days trading, which may have been as much as £750,000. “The bill for policing this crowd, the cost to traders who have to shut their shops and services for the day and the costs borne by council tax payers is completely unaffordable in the current economic climate” said Mr Kelly.