The next Labour Government will repeal the Gagging Act

Today, Labour has promised to repeal the Lobbying Act and to consult about what we need to do to ensure transparency in our elections and to protect freedom of speech.

The Tory-led Government’s Act was a farce from the beginning. It was designed to fix ‘broken politics’, but ended up gagging campaigners and charities. With little consultation,  David Cameron managed to unite groups such as Greenpeace, NUS and the Taxpayers’ Alliance in opposition. The Prime Minister attempted to rush this piece of legislation through parliament but came unstuck in the face of a broad alliance of charities and other voluntary organisations, all determined to be heard.

Labour listened and voted against this Act throughout its journey in Parliament, and Ministers were defeated three times in the Lords. The next Labour Government will repeal the Act and work with charities and campaigners to ensure transparency and fairness.

This Government failed to consult sufficiently and has ended up with a piece of legislation that stifles free speech and creates a burdensome regulatory environment. Labour recognises the important role civil society and campaigners play in our democracy – standing up for their members, bringing issues to the public’s attention and holding Ministers to account. We must ensure laws that govern political campaigning are fit for the 21st century. Issue-based campaigning is increasing in popularity and prominence, and politicians should not attempt to prevent that. It is essential that any new legislation takes on board the views of campaigning organisations and charities that it affects.

Labour will be holding a proper consultation with civil society and campaigners, assessing the checks and balances required and ensuring the values of free speech are protected. The campaign against the  Act is a perfect example of why we need reform. The many thousands of voices which opposed this legislation – from large national charities to small local campaigns – exemplify  the spirit of democratic debate we need to protect. Indeed, whilst the campaign did not prevent the Government from passing the legislation, it did force Ministers to make changes that will help campaigning organisations in the build-up to next year’s General Election. This campaigning spirit, at the heart of our democracy, needs to be preserved and encouraged.

Of course it is right that third-party campaigners are regulated. Indeed the previous Labour Government introduced legislation to do so. The reality is that the “big money” in politics is in the funding of political parties – not of campaigning organisations. There is a balance to be struck here between the freedom to campaign and a proper limit on how much campaigners can spend. The Lobbying Act fails to strike this balance.

The announcement that Labour will repeal the Act shows that a Labour Government will be committed to political reform. We do not want to plaster over the cracks in this legislation. Instead we need to start from first principles – building a framework that protects democratic debate and ensuring fair practice.​

Stephen Twigg is Shadow Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform