An MP has called for new legislation to stop protesters visiting MPs’ houses following reports that Just Stop Oil plans to occupy politicians’ homes ahead of the next general election.
Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood suggested new laws could be introduced to protect politicians in the same way legislation is being brought forward to ban people from climbing on statues.
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He told Sky News the Just Stop Oil (JSO) campaign is “looking at ways of intruding into MPs’ homes so this does need to be looked at”.
“We need to have a recognition and understanding of what the limits are.”
Mr Ellwood appears to be referring to reports in The Times and Mail on Sunday (MoS) which claimed activists are plotting to target MPs’ homes and offices in protest over plans for new oil and gas licences.
An activist is said to have told an undercover reporter at the MoS who was posing as a new recruit: “What our strategy is, at least in the short term, is that we’re going to be occupying Labour MPs’ offices, their houses, disrupting their speeches etc.”
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They said the target is Labour MPs although they “might just be targeting Tories too”.
A JSO spokesperson told Sky News the newspaper appears to have “conflated occupying offices with visiting homes”.
However, they did not rule out protesting at MPs’ homes, saying: “Our homes will be visited by flood waters if politicians won’t end our dangerous and expensive addiction to oil – so it’s only fair that we pop by to remind them of this.”
In December, JSO activists gathered outside the home of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to sing climate change-inspired Christmas carols.
Greenpeace protesters occupied the roof of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s home in Yorkshire while he was on holiday last summer.
JSO stressed that all their actions were non-violent.
But it comes amid heightened concern around MPs’ safety.
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Last week, around 60 anti-Israel protesters gathered outside Mr Ellwood’s home in Dorset holding signs that accused him of being “complicit in genocide”.
The ex-defence minister told Sky News it was “astonishing” particularly given he has “been one of the most critical” MPs of Israel.
While police attended the scene and warned Mr Ellwood to stay away from his home, no arrests were made.
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The senior MP said he feared this would become a growing trend during an election year and it risked putting off future generations from entering politics.
Pointing to proposed new laws around climbing on statues, he said: “I suspect that we’re going to see legislation on perhaps protecting homes as well.”
Police already have a legal armoury to protect MPs’ homes, including aggravated trespass.
Over the weekend, Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, and Chris Philp, the policing minister, wrote to chief constables urging them to use the “robust” measures at their disposal to tackle protesters who “intimidate and harass” MPs.
The conversation around MPs’ safety returned to the spotlight earlier this month when Tory MP Mike Freer announced he was stepping down at the next election following death threats and an arson attack on his office.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has also told Sky News she “no longer goes out” socially because of threats and abuse and that she was “scared” when confronted by pro-Palestinian supporters.
It follows the murders in recent years of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess in their constituencies.
