Gagging Law: Meeting Don Foster in Bath

Barbara and Paul, two 38 Degrees members in Bath,  went to meet their MP, Don Foster, last Friday to discuss the Gagging Law. Barbara has written this blogpost about what happened.  The really great news seems to be that Don Foster has agreed to come along to a public meeting on 10th January to discuss the gagging law.

Last Friday another 38 Degrees member Paul and I went to see our MP Don Foster to discuss with him our concerns about the Gagging Bill and to present the 38 Degrees petition.  Some 25 or more 38 Degrees members gathered in support outside the Lib-Dem offices with placards.  As Paul and I waited  to speak to Don the group outside began chanting and to our amazement Don rushed out into the street and began remonstrating with them.  An angry altercation took place until Paul and I managed to persuade Don to go back into the office and talk to us about our concerns.

He was very angry, kept insisting that problems with the Bill had been ‘fixed’ and that 38 Degrees were spreading lies.  We gave him a copy of the Report of the Commission on Civil Society and Democratic Engagement which he said he had not previously seen.  We asked him to read it because then he would understand why we were so concerned.  He agreed to come to a public meeting on 10^th January to explain his support for the Bill.

I can only suppose that the anger that Don Foster and other MP’s display at these meetings shows that they are beginning to feel their positions threatened by the opposition of their constituents, and the Government’s position threatened by the strength of public opinion.  Normally voters feel so impotent with elections only once every five years, now through 38 Degrees we can let them know that we won’t accept this gag on our freedom of speech.

38 Degrees member Barbara