9th September 2025
Just this week, Lisa Smart MP spoke passionately in Parliament about the importance of protecting the right to peaceful protest. She warned of “a chilling impact on free speech” after the mass arrest of demonstrators under counter-terrorism laws, insisting that “the right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of a liberal democracy.”
But here in Stockport, campaigners say her stance does not ring true when measured against her own behaviour closer to home.
The Case of Michael Parnell
Local residents have long raised concerns about the treatment of Michael Parnell, a vulnerable man repeatedly arrested, harassed, and pursued by Stockport Council—even over debts he didn’t owe. Campaigners have asked Ms Smart, as the local MP, to intervene or at least acknowledge the injustices he faced.
Instead, say those campaigners, she has reacted with visible irritation when the subject is raised.
A Protest Met With Police
One local resident reports that when they peacefully held up a simple A4 paper sign outside her office, reading “Useless LibDem councillors”, Ms Smart’s staff called the police. two police cars, one van, flashing lights and sirens twice.
For many, this jars uncomfortably with her words in Westminster. If holding a placard in London is a democratic right, why does a handwritten sign in Romiley provoke a call to law enforcement?
Double Standards?
Critics argue that Ms Smart cannot have it both ways—defending protest as a noble tradition in Parliament while treating local protest as a nuisance to be silenced.
“Mr Parnell was hounded into the grave,” one campaigner told the Gazette. “We wanted our MP to show compassion and leadership. Instead, she turns away from his story and calls the police on peaceful residents who dare to criticise her party.”
A Call for Consistency
The case now raises an uncomfortable question for the Liberal Democrats: what does defending the right to protest really mean?
If it is acceptable to challenge government ministers in London, it should also be acceptable to challenge councillors in Romiley. If national speeches celebrate free speech, then local actions must not contradict that message.
Closing
The late Mr Parnell’s struggle remains a painful reminder of what happens when those in power stop listening. For his supporters, Ms Smart’s record on local protest shows that the promises made in Westminster have yet to be lived out on the streets of Stockport.
Until words are matched with deeds, they argue, democracy itself is diminished.
