Matthew has congratulated Barnet Council for unanimously agreeing to pass the motion ‘Proscribe Hezbollah in its entirety’ at its meeting this week.

In recent months there has been an increase in the display of Hezbollah flags. Perpetrators claim that, as the political wing of the organisation, they are not committing any offence under the law as they are not proscribed under the Terrorism Act.

Matthew said: "I do not share this view and have spoken to the Metropolitan Police and Home Secretary about this on several occasions. I have repeatedly called for the whole of the Hezbollah organisation to be proscribed under the Terrorism Act as the current situation enables them to use a legal loop-hole to justify unacceptable actions and words.

"I believe the decision of the London Borough Barnet to pass this motion unanimously will give strength to my argument and will allow me to return to the Home Secretary and make clear that the people of Barnet are very unhappy with the present situation.

"Many people in our borough feel that the behaviour of those people who display such flags is not simply free speech but crosses the line of anti-Semitism when they use specific terms to criticise the state of Israel and Jewish people. As Barnet Council has demonstrated, such deliberately provocative, racist actions must not be tolerated.

"I am very proud that the Councillors in the London Borough Barnet have declared that they want to see an end to such behaviour on the streets of London."