Dear John

The eyes of the world are on Ukraine. 

This is a time for solidarity, collaboration and cooperation. We will work with our international friends and partners to help those most in need as this crisis unfolds. This is our main goal. 

While the Government is, rightly, sanctioning Russia and standing up to Putin’s warmongering, the PM hasn’t hit the pause button on his authoritarian domestic agenda. 

Our work stops only if the Government stops. The Government is still pushing ahead with laws that will erode our democracy, our rights and our freedoms. So we’ve kept pace and will fight them every step of the way.

Here’s what we’re working on:

The Elections Bill

Last week, the Elections Bill moved to the House of Lords for its Second Reading. The Best for Britain team is working closely with Peers from across the House to try and undo the worst clauses. The Electoral Commission, which is the elections watchdog, has also raised serious concerns about the Bill in a letter to Michael Gove.

Your support has strengthened the campaign to the point where we now have a realistic chance of stopping the most dangerous parts of this Bill becoming law. I have no doubt that we will be asking you to take fresh action soon, and I know you will keep standing with us to protect free and fair elections in the UK 

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

You’ll remember that the House of Lords defeated the Government on several parts of the Policing Bill a few weeks ago, and that the Best for Britain amendment to protect peaceful protest in Parliament Square got majority backing. The Bill returned to the Commons this week where the Government has an 80-strong majority of MPs.  

As expected, the key changes made by the Lords were voted down and removed. However, there was significant discontent in the ranks of the Conservatives, particularly on the attempt to curtail our freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom to protest. 

So now, the Policing Bill returns to the Lords (again). The Lords can decide to put the changes back in and send it back (yet again) to MPs. This to and fro between the two houses of parliament is called ‘ping pong’. We are working to make sure that is exactly what happens, and we will keep standing up for our democratic rights.

The Nationality and Borders Bill

The Lords, again, have defeated the Government this week over serious and dangerous parts of the Nationality & Borders Bill. 

Priti Patel is trying to give herself the power to take away someone’s British citizenship without informing them and categorising asylum applicants by whether they have arrived ‘regularly’ or ‘irregularly’. Of course, most people fleeing war or natural disasters are in the most ‘irregular’ situation imaginable. 

As Report Stage continues, we hope to see further defeats for the Government and Best for Britain will continue to call for the UK to offer safe haven to Ukrainian refugees. We have been that safe haven before - most recently for Hong Kongers escaping crackdowns on protest and democracy and for those fleeing Idi Amin’s terror in Uganda in the 1970’s. 

We will keep standing up for freedoms and democracy - at home and abroad. We will keep urging international cooperation and global solutions to global problems.

We cannot and will not let this Government claim that authoritarianism elsewhere is unacceptable, but in the UK it is necessary. 

Your support is more than welcome - it is necessary. Thank you for being with us.

Best wishes,

Naomi Smith 

CEO - Best for Britain

P.S. The threats our democracy faces are unrelenting, and so must we be. Will you support Best for Britain with a regular gift of £10 per month? While all eyes are rightly on Ukraine, and our thoughts are with those fighting for freedom and suffering war and loss, nevertheless our work continues.