Richard Walton called for new laws to tackle the demonstrations which often spill over into the abuse and intimidation of MPs and civil servants around Westminster and Whitehall. Violence erupted in Westminster on Saturday when about 200 people joined a pro-Brexit demonstration organised by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance, while the Remain campaign group March for Change held its own rally.

This is turning into a circus, a safety issue and – given the resulting media coverage – a national embarrassment

Richard Walton

Police, including officers on horseback, clashed with anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square and 16 people were arrested.

But Mr Walton said powers for dealing with protest outside Parliament were unfit for purpose and urged new legislation to re-balance lawful protest with civic rights alongside a more robust attitude to law enforcement from police chiefs.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: “This is turning into a circus, a safety issue and – given the resulting media coverage – a national embarrassment.”

He continued: “Nor is it only a question of Brexit. Westminster has been subjected to too many seriously disruptive protests in recent times.

“For months, Black Cab drivers have been protesting by blocking Parliament Square and Whitehall on a Friday.

“In April, Extinction Rebellion brought the entire area to a standstill for over a week while serving food from unlicensed mobile stalls.

“One might justifiably ask: where were the police in all this and what has happened to the rule of law?”

Mr Walton, a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, said contrary to popular belief, there is no special legislation in place which prevents protest in and around Parliament and Whitehall, aside from the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 which restricts camping and the using of loud hailers.

But he said the Highways Act 1980, Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Public Order Act 1986, aCriminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 the Criminal damage Act 1971 and numerous bylaws were all available to police to ensure the raucous protestor stayed within the law.

Mr Walton said the police initially failed to dealing with the Extinction Rebellion protests in the Spring because they took little account of the “civil resistance model” used by activists who were willing to be arrested in large numbers for blocking roads and bridges over days and days.

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He said: “Faced with chaos and the whole of Parliament Square being turned into a pop festival for days on end and an intervention by the Home Secretary, the Met responded with over a thousand arrests and restored order.

“Judging by the chaos surrounding Parliament in recent weeks, the time has come for the Met to address the serious disruption that is being caused by the various tactics used by protesters.

“There is a need to balance the rights of ordinary citizens, parliamentarians, civil servants and tourists with the rights of protesters.

“It is important for democracy and the execution of the rule of law that protest is lawful and does not intimidate and harass those in and around the seat of government, regardless of the debates happening within Parliament.

“The police should not tolerate seriously disruptive forms of protest of any kind and commit to providing sufficient police resources to protecting the rule of law as it relates to protest.”

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