URGENT: WRITE to your MP now and call upon them to VOTE AGAINST the anti-BDS Bill that was returned to parliament today.

Today, the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, or anti-BDS Bill as it unofficial known, returned to the House of Commons for third reading after the report stage. The bill, which was met with much controversy over the summer, will prevent local authorities, universities, and other public bodies from participating in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns against foreign states for human rights abuses. It singles out Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the Golan Heights from exemption by any current or future Secretary of State, which is deeply alarming considering Israel’s ongoing perpetration of war crimes and genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the bill has been rushed back to parliament for a third reading at a time of intense violence between Israel and Palestine.

ACT NOW by following this step-by-step guide on how to write to your MP:

Step 1: Click here to visit the relevant website

Step 2: Enter your postcode and click “find”

Step 3: Click the ‘send a message’ option found next to your local MP’s photograph

Step 4: Copy and paste the body of the template email below in to your email. (IMPORTANT: EDIT THE EMAIL INTO YOUR OWN WORDS, MPS EMAIL SYSTEMS TEND TO DELETE IDENTICAL COPIES)

Dear [enter MP’s name]

Today The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, returned to the House of Commons for third reading. The bill, which was met with much controversy over the summer, will prevent local authorities, universities, and other public bodies from participating in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns against foreign states for human rights abuses. It singles out Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the Golan Heights from exemption by any current or future Secretary of State, which is deeply alarming considering Israel’s ongoing perpetration of war crimes and genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. As such, the bill will heavily undermine our democratic rights, especially the freedom of speech and expression, and ability to engage in legitimate protest in relation to international human rights abuses.

I am writing to ask you to vote against this piece of legislation, which, if passed, would have truly detrimental consequences for freedom of speech and human rights, both at home in the UK and abroad.

Yours sincerely

[Enter your name]

 

Step 5: Fill in the remaining information in the ‘About You’ section

Step 6: Hit “Preview and send”