Business without Debate

John McDonnell Excerpts

Friday 13th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I am grateful to the right hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order, but as Mr Speaker told the House this morning, the Foreign Secretary has indicated that he will come to the House to make a statement on Monday.

[John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Ind)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. You may be aware that the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) and I were called for interview by the Metropolitan police following our participation in a demonstration in January calling for peace and justice for the Palestinian people and an end to the genocide in Gaza. It was alleged that we failed to follow police restrictions on the protest. That is untrue, and at all times we followed police instructions. We can now report that the police have dropped the case against us and there will be no charges.

The reason for this point of order is that in the correspondence to our solicitor Martin Howe, the Metropolitan police informed us that our case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service because, as MPs, we were to be held to have “a greater culpability”. This is an unacceptable practice that flies in the face of the principle that we are all equal before the law. I wish to place on record my concern about that behaviour by the Metropolitan police.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I am grateful to the right hon. Member for giving notice of his point of order. It is not a matter for the Chair, but he has put his point on the record. May I suggest that he takes the matter up with the Clerks, who will be able to advise him on how to pursue the matter further?