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Planned crime against war memorial questioned
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Planned crime against war memorial questioned

Labor ministers at the Home Office are currently considering which elements of the old legislation to include in their new Crime and Policing Bill, which is expected to be unveiled in the first half of 2025.

A person close to the Interior Ministry denied that ministers had accepted officials’ advice to abandon plans for a stand-alone public order offense for vandalism of war monuments.

Lady Diana Johnsonthe police minister, reportedly told officials in a private meeting last month that she wanted to keep the change. Ultimately, it is ministers, not civil servants, who decide government policy.

The source added that the issue was not yet resolved. Yvette Cooperthe Minister of the Interior, who would have the last call in the event of travel.

A Whitehall source said of the current internal debate: “There is a feeling among officials that some measures are not necessary. You can remedy this with different articles of existing legislation.

Officials also reportedly voiced opposition to Mr. Cleverly’s initial interest in the policy before it was announced, but their concerns were dismissed.

But government supporters argue that creating a specific public offense could have a powerful deterrent effect.

Chief Constable BJ Harrington, head of public order at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, welcomed the changes when the Conservative government announced them in February.

Mr Harrington said at the time: “We welcome the proposal to create new offenses relating to war memorials and flares, as well as making it clear that covering your face at a protest to conceal your identity does not is not acceptable.

“These changes are in line with conversations we have had with the Home Office to ensure we have the powers we need to strike a fair balance between the rights of those who wish to protest and those affected by these changes .”

It is understood that measures to crack down on the use of face masks and flares were retained during early discussions on the Crime and Policing Bill.