Oxford MP Layla Moran celebrated the Government's decision to repeal an 'archaic and cruel' law after a four-year fight. 

An amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, announced on February 21, has repealed the Vagrancy Act 1824 in full.

The Vagrancy Act made it a criminal offence to beg or be homeless on the street in England and Wales. 

The Bill returned to the House of Commons yesterday for consideration of Lords amendments.

Yesterday night, the Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon tweeted: "We did it.

"Tonight we scrapped the vagrancy act that makes rough sleeping in England and Wales illegal. Started by students in Oxford and 4yrs since I first tabled the first (of 3) repeal bills, we’ve done it. Citizen to Change.

"That’s democracy."

Layla began the national campaign to repeal the Vagrancy Act in 2018 when a group of Oxford students brought the issue to her attention. 

READ MORE: Layla Moran urges Government to "tackle rough sleeping head on"

Layla Moran said: “No one should be criminalised for sleeping rough, especially by a piece of legislation passed in the Georgian era. 

“This is testament to the hard work of so many people: the students who first brought the issue to my attention, and to our campaign partners Crisis.

“This can transform the way we talk about rough sleeping and homelessness in this country, from criminalisation to compassion.

“While we can celebrate today, tomorrow we return to the hard work of holding the government to account on their manifesto commitment to ending rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.”

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