MPs seem to have lost interest in defending our liberties. On 25 March Parliament went into recess a week early when our fundamental freedoms are under threat, our economy is being shredded, and our most independent-minded individuals, such as the self-employed and entrepreneurs, are being required to plead for state aid or bank loans.
Above all, Parliament did not even scrutinise the most draconian measures enacted since the second world war. Both houses went into recess on 25 March. The coronavirus regulations were laid before Parliament at 2.30 pm on 26 March and came into force immediately. These regulations granted the police powers to impose fixed-penalty notices on people for being away from their home without a ‘reasonable excuse’, such as shopping for food or exercising.
They were imposed under section 45R of the 1984 Public Health (Control of Disease) Act which requires both houses of Parliament to approve the new regulations within 28 days.
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