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Daily Record
Politics
Andrew Quinn

Stephen Flynn mocks Rishi Sunak over arrest of republican protesters during Coronation weekend

Stephen Flynn has mocked Rishi Sunak over the arrest of anti-monarchy protesters at the Coronation and his wife's non-dom status during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

The SNP Westminster leader asked Sunak if he would get arrested for pulling placards out of his car which say "save our non-doms".

Six demonstrators from campaign group Republic were arrested under the sweeping powers of the new Public Order Act at King Charles III's Coronation on Saturday.

They were arrested on suspicion of going equipped to “lock on”, a measure protesters use to make it harder for police to move them.

Sunak's wife Akshata Murty has non-domiciled status, which has allowed her to avoid paying tens of millions of pounds in tax. After backlash last year, Murty said she will pay tax on her UK earnings.

Flynn asked Sunak at PMQs: "If the Prime Minister was to go to the boot of his Land Rover and pull out some placards which said 'save our non-doms', would he expect to be arrested by the police?" The question was met with laughs from the SNP benches.

Sunak replied: "Can I first put on record my thanks to the police for their hard work over the weekend ensuring that the Coronation was a success. On this issue, we believe the police should have powers to make sure they can protect the public from unnecessary and serious disruption.

"I respectfully recognise that the honourable gentleman disagrees with our position. I guess the question for both of us is: what does the honourable Leader of the Opposition think about this? Because it's quite hard to keep up."

Sunak was then reminded by speaker Lindsay Hoyle that it is his job to answer questions and not to ask them. Flynn pushed Sunak on the restrictions that have been introduced on the right to protest.

He said: "What we're talking about here is the nurses' strike, doctors' strike, firefighters' strike or protest. And of course republicans' protest as well.

"And they do so because it's a fundamental right within our democracy to be able to protest. So is the Prime Minister seriously saying that, moving forward, you can have your rights but only on his terms?"

Sunak replied: "It is also the right of the British public to be able to go about their ordinary day-to-day lives without undue serious disruption. That's why it's right that the police have extra powers. I respect that the honourable gentleman disagrees with that but we think it is right.

"People will see, every day on TV, their lives being disrupted. They're not able to get to school, to get to hospital appointments, and indeed, to get to work. They should be able to do that and the police should have powers to stop those who are preventing that from happening."

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