Our government’s plan to clamp down on protest smacks of Putin’s Russia

I was listening to a report from Moscow this morning where there was mention of how many Russians protesting against Putin’s war had been arrested, because their demonstrations were illegal. Then I thought about the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill being introduced by this Conservative government.

The current crop of Conservative MPs get seriously exercised about mask-wearing but not about real erosion of our civil liberties.

Putin took many years of manipulating and changing laws before he had the level of control he sought. The people of this country shouldn’t believe it can’t happen here. Oppression can creep in almost unnoticed.

Arthur Streatfield

Bath

The UK government raises its hands in horror at the treatment of protesters in Russia against the invasion of Ukraine. They are arrested and worse.

At the same time, Priti Patel wants this country to have a law that would enable the police and the state to arrest people for protesting if it upset someone or was “too noisy”. How is this different from the way Moscow and other authoritarian regimes clamp down on legitimate protests?

I can accept that some protests cause inconvenience, but that is part of democracy. Past protests against the poll tax, for women’s rights – including the right to vote – and more have led to change.

Graham Jarvis

Leeds

It won’t be Partygate that brings this government down. It will be the disgust that most people feel over the lack of humanitarian help for those unfortunate Ukranians trying to get to safety.

Forget the rhetoric and flag-waving, just sort out an immediate unbureaucratic route for them to reach safety.

Marilyn Timney

Liss, Hampshire

The day after Johnson expressed pride in scrapping Covid rules, cases in my area reached the highest number they had ever been according to the Zoe study.

Just as worryingly, I received a text from my GP surgery telling me that they could only deal with urgent cases because of Covid.

This unfortunate situation continues, so at a stroke the service provided to me and my family by the NHS has been drastically curtailed: no treatment for minor or intermediate depression, nor for worrying or irritating symptoms, such as for a sprained knee, hearing problems or a rash.

I don’t blame the GP surgery that has heroically risen to the challenge throughout the last few years. Rather, this is the consequence of years of cuts to the NHS by successive Tory governments who have ignored the need for long lead investment. Not something to be proud of, Boris Johnson.

Tim Sidaway

Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire

I cannot agree with John Rentoul when he says that Johnson’s misstatements are careless errors and not attempts to knowingly mislead people.

Anyone who has watched his performance at Prime Minister’s Questions will have seen him consistently making conscious use of spurious statistics and unverifiable statements in order to obscure the failings of his government.

It is clear that he spends little time properly briefing himself over matters of state, choosing instead to arm himself with ear-catching slogans and soundbites of distorted information that are designed to protect himself from being answerable to the nation he was elected to serve.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

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Ukraine and Russia have a troubled history. Invading a country is one thing, occupying and controlling it is another. Ukrainian nationalists resisted the Soviet Russian Red Army and state for over 10 years, with little or no support from abroad. Now there is virtually universal condemnation of the Russian invasion, with powerful opposition from Nato, the EU and other countries around the world.

Russia is dependent on long, snaking pipelines to sell its gas resources which are extremely vulnerable to disruption, even to destruction.

Ukraine was only in the Soviet Union because of force and repression. Invading a free, sovereign nation when there is substantial opposition within Russia itself to such an invasion and the massive international opposition is a very risky gamble.

Vladimir Putin has made a huge misjudgement. Swiftly investigating and targeting his offshore assets and his cronies may save both the Ukraine and Russia from the deaths and destruction this misjudgement will cause

Andrew Milroy

Trowbridge