Iain Coleman, aka Mr Happy, made his maiden speech to Cambridge city council yesterday:
I joined the Liberal Democrats, and became a political activist, about three years ago. People sometimes ask me why, and the answer is two words: Jack Straw. At that time, I thought he was the most authoritarian, most illiberal, most dangerous Home Secretary this country could have. I’m depressed that I’ve been proved wrong.
Nobody denies that there are good things in this bill. There are provisions that it would be great to have, as the amendment says. But these dispersal orders are a red-line issue for us. Members opposite have talked about anti- social behaviour. If these dispersal orders were about anti-social behaviour, that would be fine. But they’re not. They’re about prejudice: pre-judging individuals. We can’t accept that.
It doesn’t matter how many good things are in this bill. It could contain STV for national elections, immediate Euro entry and free beer for Scotsmen, I still couldn’t support any bill that contained these dispersal orders and neither, I think, could any of my fellow Liberal Democrats.
I support the amendment.