Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

War Memorials: Desecration — [Philip Davies in the Chair]

13 January 2021 · 2 other contributors · 3,877 words

Opened by Jonathan Gullis Con Stoke-on-Trent North

Responding minister: Alex Chalk

Crime & Law EnforcementCommunity SecurityDemocracy & Elections

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Jonathan Gullis raised concerns about war memorials: desecration — [philip davies in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about inadequate penalties for desecration of war memorials, citing a specific arson attempt at the Cenotaph in London.
  • Gullis seeks a government commitment to advance proposed legislation without amendment to ensure stricter penalties for desecration.
  • The minister acknowledges the need to address desecration and highlights plans to review criminal damage laws in the sentencing White Paper.

Key requests to Government

Gullis asks for a cast-iron guarantee from the Government that they will progress with legislation proposed in their sentencing reform Green Paper without amendment, aiming for it to become law as soon as possible. If given this assurance, he and his co-sponsor would withdraw their private Member's Bill.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Jonathan Gullis Con Stoke-on-Trent North

Jonathan Gullis is concerned about the lack of comprehensive reporting on vandalism and desecration of war memorials, citing a specific incident at the Cenotaph in London where Mr Sang attempted arson. He notes that the sentence given to Mr Sang was unduly lenient, failing to fit the severity of the crime against national symbols and those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Gullis mentions that his co-sponsored private Member's Bill seeks to address this by proposing stricter penalties for such acts.

Other contributors (2)
  • James Sunderland Con Bracknell

    James Sunderland agrees with Gullis about the desecration of war memorials being a serious issue, citing the example of Churchill statue vandalism. He supports the need for stronger laws to protect these national symbols and expresses hope that the Government will move forward with proposed legislation. He honoured the sacrifices of those who served in war, emphasizing the importance of preserving war memorials. He supported the proposed legislation to better protect these memorials and highlighted his own experience as a former Army officer. James also mentioned the profound impact of commemorations such as the D-day 75 celebrations.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon supports the debate and expresses his concern about the desecration of the Churchill memorial in Parliament Square, describing it as disgraceful. He thanks those who tried to clean the memorial and emphasises the need for strong prosecution and community service penalties for vandals.

Government Response

Alex Chalk

The Government are committed to addressing the desecration of war memorials and other culturally significant statues, acknowledging that such acts subvert democracy and cause societal harm beyond mere monetary value. The minister praised the campaigning efforts of MPs like Jonathan Gullis and James Sunderland for raising awareness on this issue. He highlighted plans to review criminal damage laws in the sentencing White Paper published in September 2020, aiming to equip courts with powers to sentence appropriately when memorials are damaged or desecrated. The Government intends to legislate further this year, supporting a private Member's Bill introduced by Gullis and seeking to protect a wider range of property beyond war memorials alone.

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