Bournemouth East MP, Tobias Ellwood, has joined other Conservative MPs, celebrities and human rights campaigners in a move to protect free speech.

Parliament will vote today on the Government's Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Conservative MPs will be voting to ensure that the Bill does not hinder the right to free speech.

Mr Ellwood said:

"This is another deeply worrying example of the Government's determination to over regulate society. If passed without amendments the Bill will severely limit our freedom of speech. This would be a major sacrifice when robust legislation is already in place to protect people."

"We are in favour of the original Lords' amendments to the Bill. These changes ensured that an offence could only be committed with specific intent and was confined to the use of threatening language. Merely abusing or insulting language would not be criminalised under these amendments. But the latest Government amendments have been published and it's clear that Ministers will seek to reverse many of the improvements to the Bill suggested by the House of Lords."

"It is vital that we protect the fundamental right to freedom of speech which we have enjoyed in this country for hundreds of years. A Bill which curbs our rights in this way, with so little justification, must be seen as seriously flawed."

Dominic Grieve MP, Conservative Shadow Attorney General, has promised that the Conservatives will work with others in Parliament to remove the worst parts of the Government's proposals.