It's not just the economy the Tories are trashing: they are setting about our democracy too

Only a former Labour MP could come up with such a repressive measure.

From the Guardian:

Ministers are considering proposals to ban MPs and councillors from engaging with groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, 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 cross-bench peer.

MPs and councillors are not the representatives of their party leaders: they are the representatives of their constituents. They should therefore be free to talk to anyone they damn well choose.

The speaker of the Commons needs to say this loud and clear, but he is such a diminished figure that I doubt he will.

This is an attempt by the Conservatives to make it harder to express views that dissent from their own, even when those views have widespread support.

Public opinion favours a ceasefire in Gaza and is concerned about the climate crisis, even if voters are less supportive of some of the tactics climate protestors have employed.

It's not just the economy that the Tories are trashing before they have to call an election: they are setting about representative democracy too.