The British Overseas NGOs for Development (Bond) released its latest report on Tuesday, finding that the UK’s civic space remains under pressure after being downgraded in global rankings.

The report examines six key UK trends that threaten civil society. These include ever stricter anti-protest laws, protesters being prevented from mentioning motives in court, tone-policing of charity campaigns, pressure on migrants’ rights charities, increased use of Henry VIII powers, and finally vetting and banning experts.

The report cites recent cases and legislation contributing to these trends. For example, the Public Order Act 2023 (POA) is cited in the anti-protest law trend. The law criminalises new protesting tactics such as locking onto poles and fences and gives the police further powers to stop and search demonstrators. The legislation was used just a few days after it came into force during the coronation of King Charles III, as hundreds of anti-monarchy protesters were detained by police. Most recently, on July 18, 2024, five environmental activists who organised to bring part of a motorway to a standstill were sentenced to between four and five years in prison using the POA. This is the longest sentence since the conspiracy to cause a public nuisance law was introduced.

The report also ends by highlighting an emerging trend towards broadening the definition of extremism. The former conservative government broadened the definition on March 14, 2024, which was criticised for preventing certain organisations from meeting with government officials and parliamentarians and from receiving public funds. Ultimately, the government has more discretion under the new definition, capturing the activities of many more groups than before.

Speaking about the review, Rowan Popplewell, Bond’s civic space policy manager, states:

The new government must act now to halt democratic backsliding here in the UK. Repealing anti-protest laws and supporting public scrutiny and debate are crucial steps to help civil society flourish and restore our international reputation.

The UK currently ranks 58th in the world for freedom of civic space, in which it is classified as “obstructed.” The UK’s classification was downgraded in 2022 where it was previously classified as having a “narrowed” civic space.