Boris Johnson is planning to rush through laws to stop activists from blocking motorways, it has been reported.
The move follows complaints from the police that they have lacked sufficient powers to stop Insulate Britain from obstructing traffic and access to motorways in and around London.
The climate group brought three motorways to a halt on Friday as their campaign of disruption on Britain’s roads continued.
Some drivers have reported being stranded in gridlock while taking relatives to hospital or transporting vital supplies due to the eco-mob.The Prime Minister told the Daily Mail: ‘This government will always stand on the side of the law-abiding majority and ensure the toughest penalties possible for criminals who deliberately bring major roads to a standstill.
‘We will give the police the powers they need to stop their reckless and selfish behaviour.
‘The right to protest is sacrosanct, but there is no right to inflict chaos and misery on people trying to go about their lives.’
The new laws are expected to be on the statute book by the turn of the year, according to the Mail.
An offence of ‘obstructing a highway’ already exists, but carries only a maximum fine of £1,000.
The prime minister’s crackdown means protesters who cause disruption to roads can be jailed.
Insulate Britain – which wants the government to pay for all homes in the country to be insulated by 2030 – has brought major roads to a standstill with ten protests in less than three weeks.
Around 450 arrests have been made since the campaign started.
A senior government source last night said: ‘We can’t have Labour councillors and crusties making life hell for mothers on the school run and van drivers making vital deliveries.
‘The law does not currently reflect the serious disruption caused by these dangerous actions.’
It was also announced on Saturday night that the government has taken out a fresh injunction aimed at preventing climate activists from blocking roads.
The new injunction bans Insulate Britain from obstructing traffic and access to motorways and major A Roads in the capital.
It states the activists must not cause damage to the road surface and infrastructure, and also bans them from using tactics like gluing themselves to the road or abandoning their cars.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the injunction will cover ‘every major road and motorway linked to the M25 is covered by this injunction to help prevent further disruption’.
Anyone who breaks the injunction faces imprisonment or an unlimited fine. Activists found in contempt of court may also be forced to repay the costs of their case.
Under the new legal order, the police will now be able to release information and evidence on the activists to National Highways so that the injunctions can be enforced.
This will speed up the enforcement process and ensure that those who disobey the authority of the courts face the consequences, according to the Department for Transport.
The government’s tough new stance was announced on the eve of the Tory Party conference in Manchester last night.
The event comes against a backdrop of the separate road chaos caused by the fuel crisis, which has led to a critical shortage of petrol on forecourts in London and the South East.
Ahead of the conference, the prime minister vowed to make ‘big, bold decisions’ to rebuild the country after the ravages of Covid, promising ‘decisive action’ on jobs, crime and health and social care.
‘We didn’t go through Covid to go back to how things were before – to the status quo ante. Build back better means we want things to change and improve as we recover,’ he said in a statement.
‘That means taking the big, bold decisions on the priorities people care about – like on social care, on supporting jobs, on climate change, tackling crime and levelling up.
‘This Conservative Government has a track record of delivering on the people’s priorities: we got Brexit done and secured a deal with the EU – keeping our election promise.
‘On Covid, we rolled out unprecedented levels of economic support, protecting livelihoods and keeping businesses afloat.
‘And thanks to our NHS, scientists and so many others, our successful vaccine rollout has saved thousands of lives, prevented countless hospitalisations and has allowed the economy and society to begin returning to normality.
‘All of this shows we are delivering – and now it is time to go further – not only to recover, but to build back better – with decisive action on more jobs, more police and supporting health and social care.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.