The local Lib Dems and I have called on Woking’s Conservative MP, Jonathan Lord, to “pledge to defend the rule of law against any attempts by Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings to undermine it.”

It follows the Tory Government’s announcement of a so-called Independent Review of Administrative Law, with the aim of restricting the ability of individuals to seek judicial review of government actions.

This could prevent people challenging the Government in the courts, as they did when the Ministry of Defence sent soldiers into combat in Iraq without the proper equipment; when excessive Home Office fees denied children their rights as citizens; and when patients died from substandard care at Stafford Hospital.

These changes could also stop local residents questioning actions by Surrey County Council and Woking Borough Council.  Only last year, parents took the County Council to court over cuts to children with special educational needs and disabilities.

With these plans, Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings are trying to enable the Government to run roughshod over people’s rights and allow Ministers to break the law with impunity.

This should be incredibly alarming, no matter your political persuasion.  Woking’s MP must put party politics aside and pledge to defend the rule of law against any attempts by Johnson and Cummings to undermine it.

Threatening to weaken people’s ability to challenge the Government because the courts sometimes rule against you is the act of dictators and despots, not democrats.

The Lib Dems will always defend individuals’ abilities to challenge the Government and uphold their rights.  We will not stand by and allow Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings to undermine the rule of law, which is so fundamental to our society.