An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that would introduce tougher sentences for hate crimes committed against LGBT people and people with disabilities is being backed by East Thanet MP Polly Billington.
The new law, if passed by MPs, would make serious crimes motivated by prejudice against anyone because of their disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity “aggravated” offenses – as is currently the case for hate crimes motivated by race or religion. Aggravated offenses carry tougher sentences for perpetrators.
The amendment has attracted strong cross-party support, with more than 50 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens already backing it. The amendment will be debated on Wednesday 18th June, with the possibility of a vote straight after.
‘Standing firm against hatred’
Polly Billington MP said: “Between March 2023 – 2024, over 40,000 hate crimes against people in Britain because of their sexual orientation, transgender identity, or disability were recorded by the police. We must treat these offences with the seriousness they deserve.
“Thanet has a thriving LGBT+ community and more people with disabilities than other parts of the country, so we are a community that knows the value of looking out for each other and standing firm against hatred. That’s why I am proud to add my weight to this amendment that would make this important and long overdue change to the law.”
Rachel Taylor MP’s proposed amendment (New Clause 122) has been submitted and is scheduled for discussion on the second day (Wednesday) of the Second Reading of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Hate crime laws
Under current hate crime laws, crimes driven by hostility toward someone’s disability, sexual orientation, or transgender status can qualify for Enhanced Sentencing, as outlined in the Sentencing Code.
In these cases, the hostility only needs to be established during the sentencing phase. However, for aggravated offences, the bias must be proven at the point of conviction. As a result, such cases often revolve around demonstrating that motive, which can encourage law enforcement to gather more evidence of intent.
The change proposed being proposed was recommended by the Law Commission in 2021.
In 2022, Thanet accounted for 10.4% of all hate crime referrals in Kent and Medway, and 8.3% of all hate crimes.
In 2023/24 there were 4,222 hate crimes recorded by Kent Police.
Last Saturday Ramsgate’s second Pride event took place. The event is organised by a small team of volunteers and took place at venues across the town.
Next year it will expand to become Ramsgate & Broadstairs Pride, with the main event in Ramsgate in the Summer and later in the year, a Pride Party in Broadstairs.
During this year’s event, a one minute silence was held to pay respects to couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, owners of The Wellness Foundry in Grange Road, Ramsgate, who were onboard an Air India flight that crashed moments after taking off at 1:38 PM IST on June 12 from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Singer Kate Nash, who is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for trans people, also spoke at the event.
Margate Pride takes place every August and brings thousands of people to the town.
Polly, your backing of tougher hate crime sentencing would be more credible if you didn’t block your own constituents for asking simple, direct questions. You present yourself as a defender of justice, but when it comes to your own accountability, you vanish behind a wall of silence and censorship. That’s not leadership, it’s cowardicce.
Your support for harsher penalties feels less like a principled stand and more like a PR move, especially when your voting record and community engagement say otherwise. How can we trust you to uphold fairness when you can’t even face a polite challenge on X without hitting the block button?
Being an MP means representing everyone, not just the ones who clap politely. If you want to be taken seriously on justice and public safety, start by respecting the public you claim to serve. Because you don’t.
Most don’t. She knows the game is up & will just keep picking up her MP salary & enjoying her ‘free lunches & booze-ups, until we can get rid of her in four years time. She doesn’t seem the type to get involved in a major scandal that would necessitate her resigning or being fired.
You are going to need these tougher sentences with the changing demographics of the UK. They are your friends now while you are useful idiots.
The Box is certainly not clapping politely.I doubt if he and it will be a he, asks simple polite questions, because every time PB puts her head above the parapet, he goes into a paroxysm of anger and rage.
My advice is to make some tea,cut a slice of cake and chill. Politicians will be politicians, and she is no different from DOGEY Reform in that regard.Women politicians do get a massive set of hate mail, from angry old blokes with axes to grind, like The Box. Box by name, box by nature.
Ah George, the snowflake still crying a year later. Times never change. Bot.
George, I do hope you’re paid well to be Polly Billington’s spokesman. You’re saving her a lot of work.
“MarGay” has been what I’ve called Margate for years! Then there’s Ramsgetto, Thieftonville, Boredstairs, CliffRichard’sEnd, WestGay, Munster – and, my favourite of all – BitchyTown!
Oh Checks,
You are so, so funny. How everyone who reads your posts must be doubled over in hysterics.
You and Mad World really are top posters.
I aim to please.
I prefer Cliftonoverspill….
Walking through Harlem at 2 AM is starting to seem safer than walking in Ramsgate at 9 PM the last few years.
Looks like this is going to be used by her alot, saves replying to Thanet residents. Should apply to everyone equally not just the few
Wonder just how many people in her constituency really give a damn about gender politics? Not many I would wager-but it is brownie points with people likely to vote for her & her revolting party, like not upsetting certain Labour voters up north with any pesky grooming gangs investigations. Ask people to name their top ten concerns & I doubt there would be many who would list this stuff as a top priority.
Also you have to find it amusing her talking about disability discrimination-seeing as her government announced not too long back how they are going to attack the disabled-cutting their money, forcing them to look for work by making it virtually impossible to pass the disabilty tests going forward, telling new claimiants they will have to survive on 50 quida week etc.
I would think any disabled person would rather some idiot hurling a derogotary term at them, than the bunch of rich idiot Labour MP’s who including Polly were mighty pleased at the cuts to disability/welfare announced-Polly here even said how good it could be in similar words. Let’s hope even if they are watered down as expected after 150 of these Tory cowards said they would rebel to try to save their own skins, not because of any care for anybody, that the disabled remember what Labour are in every vote from now to the next general election.
what has happened to freedom of speech in this country ? why are we not allowed to say what most people feel anyway , why should we bow to minority groups and misfits , carrying out unnatural behaviour
We are allowed to say what we feel. You, “real woerld”, are obviously not living in the real world.
I agree with Peter.
If that is the case then why do police keep going to people’s houses to warn them about their thinking on social media? Why do people keep getting cancelled for expressing their opinion?
“real world” not “real woerld” ,so don’t bother correcting it.
Martha, it’s “real world”.
Lots of hateful comments against those who spoke out against the toxic rape gangs. The likes of Starmer and failed hack Emily Maitlis gave them the lazy slur ‘racists’. Yet ironically some of these politicians are involved in this legislation. Close down free speech when it suits you and push the propaganda narrative when it doesn’t. That certainly seems hateful.
As someone who first heard of “Racism” in the early 60’s, I have since been boggled as to why anyone should be prejudiced, and hostile towards people who are different, like in colour, or where they come from originally, its so dumb!
But I agree about Polly Billington failing to deal with her constituents problems, whilst swanning about in television studios, hoping to get noticed, its all part of her career path, which is failing as she isn’t yet even a bag carrier for some minister of other! Find out how to get to Thanet Polly, best by train, then answer youn mailbag, it may just get you re-elected!
I think she’s banging on more about homosexuals and lesbians than race, but the problem there are the ever-changing terms they like to be called. I know an older gay man in his 80s (a dear friend for over 40 years) who is highly offended by the term “Queer”, yet now apparently it’s in vogue. I personally don’t give a monkey’s who’s shagging who. Why let sexual orientation define a person? There’s far more important things.
Anyway, as an older, white, male, I experience ageism, racism and sexism every day! Why is calling someone a “gammon” acceptable? Live and let live, people
You have confirmed your “white privilege” simply by asking. Shameful. I suggest you flog yourself & wear a hair shirt for at least a week.
I thought you were of Mediterranean heritage Peter.
English on my dad’s side, Jewish on my mum’s side, and raised by a black Antiguan stepdad in an area predominently Caribbean. So yep, I’m multi-cultural, probably more so than Polly and Brown (Polly Brown? Wasn’t she in Pickettywitch?).
Seriously, I don’t see people as being “black” or “ginger beer” or any other label. I either like, dislike or (mostly) have no strong feelings either way about people – regardless of anything else.
Probably it depends-if you just irrationally hate all non-whites then it is likely just the way you have been bought up/peers/reading the stuff in the national media-especially tabloids.
If you lived next to a family in say Brixton who were quiet, respectul & friendly & then suddenly they are replaced by people who play loud music all night long, have arguments all the time, have lots of criminals coming round, throw things in your garden, smash your windows, threaten to kill you, sell drugs from their property etc, then I would imagine most wouldn’t have a great impression of the changing demographic of their community.
What happens to everyone being equal, why should there be set laws for any one does not matter what you are, stop putting people in boxes and understand same for ALL.
Absolutely!
Nice to see that Katie Nash could tear herself away from empowering young women by posting her ass for cash on OF for a few hours to attend. Probably made a change to see turf on the greens, instead of so called terfs everywhere in LA & London.