Portsmouth South’s MP Stephen Morgan is backing a potential new law that would offer more protection for police, firefighters and NHS workers in the city.
Stephen Morgan MP has given his support to a new law being proposed by Chris Bryant MP, which for the first time would make it an aggravated offence to attack an emergency worker.
With 699 police officers and 732 PCSOs assaulted in Hampshire last year and 222 assaults on local NHS workers in 2016, this law aims to help deter people from assaulting the workers who protect our public on a daily basis, and to ensure those that do face tough sanctions.
The new law has support from the Royal College of Nursing, Unison, the Fire Bridges Union, the Police Federation, The British Transport Police and the GMB union.
It comes after Chris Bryant MP came top of the ballot for ‘Private Members Bills’ in Parliament, a mechanism that allows an MP to put forward a proposal to be debated in parliament and potentially made into law. After opening a public vote on which issue to put forward, Mr Bryant went with the majority winner which was this Bill to stop attacks on emergency workers.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“I’m backing the bill to protect our protectors because it’s absolutely unacceptable that the hard-working men and women who work relentlessly day in, day out in our local NHS, Fire and Police services face serious assault and abuse simply for doing their jobs trying to keep us all safe and well.
Any assault on emergency workers is unacceptable, and it’s about time the law reflected the seriousness of attacks on people working for the public good.
Society owes a debt of thanks to our emergency workers, so Parliament now needs to give them the support and protection they need; that’s why I’m backing this important Bill”.
Chris Bryant MP said:
“I’m taking forward this Bill after hearing of the literally thousands of horrifying attacks on our emergency workers every year. No one should be attacked just for doing their job, let alone when that job is putting themselves on the line for the public good.
Passing this Bill will send a clear message that we will not tolerate violence and abuse towards those who protect us, and it will hopefully help stem the tide of this worrying trend of assaults towards them.”
