The right to protest is a fundamental democratic freedom.

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But like all freedoms, it should come with responsibilities - and it’s time for that to include the need to show your face.

The issue is back in the news because of the recent anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth, in which large groups of men, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, blocked roads and clashed with police. Speaking on LBC last night, the former Conservative Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly called for face coverings to be banned - but I can’t help wondering why it’s taken him so long to reach this view, and why he never did it while in power?

This isn’t just about the far-right. For years........

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