Election '97: Actress takes on 'police state'

The actress Vanessa Redgrave yesterday helped set up a new political party designed "to oppose the laws of a police state" which will field one candidate at the election.

The Charter for Basic Rights will fight the south London seat of Tooting on a platform of repealing a series of laws affecting the police, terrorism, asylum-seekers and trade unions. The party advocates pulling troops out of Northern Ireland and releasing all political prisoners, with immediate unconditional all-party talks on the future of Ulster. It aims to defend the democratic rights it claims have been eroded by the Government. Ms Redgrave and her brother Corin have set up the party, with backing from writers Harold Pinter and Edward Bond. Their candidate in Tooting is Jan Koene, 48, a teacher, lecturer, actor and stage director.