On Tuesday Emma spoke in Parliament to oppose the Government’s Lobbying Bill.
A large number of Labour MPs joined Emma in speaking out against the Bill, which has been widely criticised by charities, local campaign organisations and activists from all political parties. Part 2 of the Bill places restrictions on the activities of charities and other third party organisations in the year leading up to a general election, meaning these organisations would no longer be able to contribute to public debates on important issues during one of the most crucial times in national politics.
Emma said:
“How valuable can a public discussion of, for example, the bedroom tax be without the input of campaign organisations who dedicate their time and resources to studying the problem? How informed can the debate be if the experts who travel the country talking to our constituents and conducting research are not allowed to participate? Politics goes beyond what happens in Westminster, and political parties should not be the only voices that voters hear.”
Dozens of constituents wrote to Emma voicing their concern about the changes in the Bill, making it one of the most popular issues for Shields constituents since she was elected.
To read the full text of Emma’s speech, as well as other MPs’ contributions, click here.