UK rejects protest bans and drone deliveries

The UK came down hard against new laws to ban marches and protests about foreign governments' actions abroad. Does the UK need new laws to ban marches and protests about foreign governments' actions abroad? saw No win decisively, as the room's governing instinct held that free speech cannot only be applied for matters you agree with.

The verdicts

Should over-65s take a driving test refresher every 5 years? split the country almost down the middle, but a chamber wary of treating age as a proxy for competence narrowly chose No. Should parents of children who commit criminal offences have their benefits cut? produced a similarly tight result, with the floor rejecting cuts after the strongest No arguments centred on poverty, fairness and innocent siblings.

The country spoke with one voice on diversity hiring. Has DEI hiring lowered professional standards in government departments? saw Yes triumph by nearly four to one, the room's refrain a blunt call to get "back to basics".

Should stamp duty thresholds be raised to boost the housing market? won overwhelming backing, though many of the strongest Yes voices said they really wanted stamp duty scrapped altogether. On the diplomatic front, Should Britain freeze diplomatic relations with countries which make claims on British territory? passed narrowly despite a thin case for it; the winning side's sharpest line was that business as usual obviously cannot continue.

Should Sadiq Khan have been given a peerage? produced a resounding No, driven as much by hostility to the Lords as to the man himself. Finally, Should the UK approve routine nationwide aerial drone deliveries by 2027? saw the country balk at the timetable while leaving the door open to the idea at some later date.

Voting continues today on fresh questions.

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