Dear Leicester City Council

I’m writing to express my extreme concern about your city centre PSPO, which bans flags and banners as well as political campaigning tables.

This in effect has banned political campaigning from the city centre, since campaigners have found that they have been unable to gain permission.

This is clearly a serious breach of democratic and free speech rights, which are accorded specific protection by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, which states that councils ‘must have particular regard to the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly set out in articles 10 and 11 of the Convention’.

We have been contacted by a number of Leicester campaigners who are very unhappy about the law, including one campaigner who was fined under the powers. It appears that there was a vibrant tradition of political activism and debate in Leicester. We will work with these campaigners to have their cause promoted and publicised.

I urge you to review the PSPO and reconsider whether this is the best way forward. I understand that you want to restrict anti-social behaviour, but your law is drawn so widely as to restrict ordinary democratic campaigning, which cannot be right. I’m sure you don’t want Leicester to become known as the city that restricts democracy and free speech, especially when it has such a rich tradition of both.

I would be very keen to meet with you, along with local campaigners, to discuss the issue, and to see if a more liberal solution can be found.

You may be interested to read our guidance for councils on political campaigning, which provides practical tools and arguments for how councils can keep public squares open.

Yours sincerely,

Josie Appleton
Director, Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life