Week Ahead: MPs seek tougher sentences for war memorial vandals

STATUE DEBATE

There’s been no shortage of discussion about the nation’s statues in recent weeks after Black Lives Matter protesters toppled the one commemorating slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol and rolled it into the city’s harbour, while the Cenotaph in London was separately covered in graffiti and there were threats to target other statues, including that of Winston Churchill.

Now plans to see people who vandalise war memorials jailed for up to 10 years are due to move a step forward this week, with Tory backbenchers Jonathan Gullis and James Sutherland bringing forward a bill to the House of Commons on Tuesday.

The motion aims to make desecration of monuments to our fallen a specific offence and is expected to be passed, having received cross-party support from both the Government and Labour.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has already declared her support for the move, while Boris Johnson has promised that “any incident of vandalism or attack on public property will be met with the full force of the law and perpetrators will be prosecuted”.

BREXIT COUNTDOWN

With Michael Gove saying earlier this month that he had “formally confirmed” to the EU Britain would not be seeking an extension to the current Brexit transition period which is due to finish at the end of this year, attention is increasingly turning to what type of trade deal - if any - will be agreed.

Boris Johnson has said he wants to see a deal concluded by the end of July but with major stumbling blocks including fishing rights and a demand from Brussels that the UK remains closely tied to EU standards on workers’ rights, the environment and state subsidies, the end of October is said to be the deadline for a deal to be ratified in time.

This Tuesday marks four years since the Brexit referendum vote in 2016 and on the same day MPs on the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union will hear evidence from border services experts and the Freight Transport Association.

On Wednesday, the Home Affairs Committee will hear evidence on the Government’s proposals for the UK’s new immigration system, while there is to be a private meeting of the International Trade Committee on UK trade negotiations.

In a reminder of how long political divisions have lasted over the European Union, Monday marks another significant anniversary - it is 25 years since John Major resigned as leader of the Conservatives, but not as Prime Minister, with his famous “put up or shut up” speech to his Eurosceptic critics within his party.

His sole challenger was John Redwood and Major ended up winning a convincing victory - but two decades later it has been the party’s Eurosceptic wing that has ultimately triumphed over the issue of Europe.

WAY TO WEMBLEY

League football in the top two English divisions has already returned behind closed doors and this weekend it will be the turn of the FA Cup as the competition’s quarter finals are held on Saturday and Sunday. Among those still in the running in the much-cherished tournament is Sheffield United, who take on Arsenal on Sunday lunchtime.

BENNETT’S BACK

A new series of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads starring some of Britain’s best-loved actors is starting on the BBC on Tuesday.

The 12 dramatic monologues - ideal for filming during lockdown - from the Leeds-born actor and writer will all be made available on iPlayer but will also be shown on BBC One over the course of the next fortnight.  

Among the cast list are Martin Freeman, Lesley Manville, Sarah Lancashire and Imelda Staunton.

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