TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady warns that
proposed legislation will “shut down dissent in the year before a general
election”.
Officials are seeking an urgent meeting with Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith to protest at “an outrageous attack on freedom of speech worthy of an authoritarian dictatorship” contained in clauses in the Transparency of Lobbying, non-Party Campaigning, and Trade Union Administration Bill.
The bill changes regulations around campaigning by non-party organisations in the 12 months before a general election. Breaking the new regulations would be a criminal offence.
The TUC says its annual conference in 2014 would be covered by the new rules, while political party conferences would not.
Critics say the bill will would effectively shut down dissent for the year before an election. They say there has been no cross-party consultation on the changes, despite the constitutional impact of any new regulations.
If the bill becomes law, it would change the definition of what counts as campaigning.
At present only activities designed specifically to influence an election result are regulated. The bill will instead regulate activity that may affect the result of an election, which will limit any organisation’s ability to criticise government policies in the run up to an election – not just unions, but charities, NGOs and local campaign groups too.
The bill also proposes cutting spending limits for third party campaigners by more than half, to £390,000, including staff time and office costs.
At present, only the costs of election directed materials and activities such as leaflets and advertisements are regulated.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s an open secret at Westminster that this rushed Bill has nothing to do with cleaning up lobbying or getting big money out of politics.
“Instead it is a crude and politically partisan attack on trade unions, particularly those who affiliate to the Labour Party.
“But it has been drawn so widely that its chilling effect will be to shut down dissent for the year before an election. No organisation that criticises a government policy will be able to overdraw their limited ration of dissent without fearing a visit from the police.
“Of course not everyone agrees with TUC views and policies, but I expect there to be wide revulsion at this attack on free speech worthy of an authoritarian dictatorship.
“This will not just gag unions, but any group or organisation that disagrees with government – or opposition – policies.”
The Bill was published as Parliament broke up f
or the summer, and is to be debated as soon as MPs return with a second reading on 3 September.
The TUC says ministers have broken pledges that the lobbying bill would be published in draft form and subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a House of Commons Select Committee.
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