THE battle to keep the British democratic way of life is alive in well in Redditch after a pro-democracy rally at the bandstand in the town centre earlier today, Sunday, September 1.
It was sparked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to stop the House of Commons from sitting for an unprecedented five weeks.
His action saw Redditch’s Labour Party, Liberal Democratic Party and Green Party unite to stand against the PM’s high handed move.
Speaker after speaker hit out against the ban known as the ‘the proroguing of Parliament’.
Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Redditch, Becky Jenkins said: “The proroguing of Parliament by Johnson and his cronies is an obscene abuse of power, it sets a dangerous precedent and it must be challenged.”
And she also hit out at the borough’s Conservative MP Rachel Maclean.
“This MP has flip-flopped and changed her position more times than I’ve had hot dinners!
“Rather than consider the possible catastrophe that a no deal would bring upon the people of Redditch, she simply changes her position to impress the leader or various ministers to boost her own career.”
Andy Thompson, chair of Redditch Lib Dems said: “What the Prime Minister has done is an affront to our democracy.
“The Brexit argument was about re-asserting our democracy and ‘taking back control’.
“Now Boris Johnson has shut down the very apparatus of our democracy and the question is what will he or his successors shut down next – he has set a very dangerous precedent for this country’s democratic future.”
Steve Pound of the Green Party said: “This is all about our democracy.
“People have fought and died for centuries for the right to vote and to send their representatives to Parliament to act on their behalf.
“Now Boris Johnson has suspended the Parliament of the people.
It is nothing less than an attack on our very core democratic values.”
Attempts to disrupt the rally by drowning out the speakers were, after the culprit started to throw his weight around, quickly dealt with by the Police, who said it was otherwise a peaceful demonstration.
Councillor Bill Hartnett, the leader of Redditch’s Labour group on the borough council said: “This rally has had nothing to do with Brexit but about stopping the democratic process for an unprecedented four five weeks.
“MPs are elected to represent us and this Prime Minister has prevented them from do so.”
Those attending the rally also had the chance to hear ‘Britain in Dead’ the song that led to Steve Pound’s band Chaos Experience from playing at the Morton Stanley festival.
“They were calling for, so I felt duty bound to oblige,” he said, “the battle for our democracy goes on.”
