Bishop of Leeds tells of arrest for busking in Paris as he spoke against moves to clamp down on noisy protests

However, speaking at Westminster the Rt Rev Nick Baines said he was only 20 at the time and it happened on the Paris Metro “so it doesn’t count”.

The Bishop of Leeds disclosed his youthful indiscretion as he spoke out against Government moves to clamp down on noisy protests, dismissing it as “faffing around”.

He later voted with other members of the Lords to defeat the Government again in demanding the controversial restrictions are removed from the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

Mr Baines told peers: “I have never been on a demonstration. At least I haven’t been on a demonstration that was protesting against something.

“I have been on two marches that were very noisy, they were accompanied by bands and so on, that were protests for something.

“I would love to know in terms of the definitions of these things whether we are talking about protests, which is assumed to be against something or a call for something that is entirely positive.

“Because if the phenomenon is the same what are we faffing around with this for?

“I also got arrested for busking. That could be related to noise but I was only 20 and it was on the Paris Metro so it doesn’t count.

“Being serious, I just don’t understand why the Government is pushing this when there’s no call for it and it is unlikely to achieve anything because the mode of definition is so vague.”

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