KRAMER SLAMS TREATMENT OF WALTER WOLFGANG

3.41.27pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 5th Oct 2005

MP Susan Kramer has attacked as outrageous the treatment of Walter Wolfgang at the recent Labour Party Annual Conference and has challenged the use of terrorism legislation.

She is writing to the Home Secretary to express her concern about the way the law was used.

Ms. Kramer said:

"I am shocked that a life - long member of the Labour Party and a local constituent should be treated in this way but I am even more concerned with the use of anti-terror laws to try to prevent Mr Wolfgang from returning to the conference.

"We have received so many assurances from the Government that anti-terror legislation will not be used to improperly limit civil liberties. But here those laws were abused to buy time for Labour party spin doctors to come up with a solution to their own ham fisted behaviour. It confirms all our suspicions that this Government has little respect for civil liberties.

"Mr. Walter Wolfgang and I happen to agree on Iraq, the subject of his protest, but that is not the reason I am outraged by the way he has been dealt with.

"We owe it to people to ensure that laws are not misused in this way. With new anti - terror legislation on the horizon I am determined that the government will not impose its will on us all with bad laws that are then used to stifle individual protest."