Just Like The Greens, UKIP Try To Shut Down Free Speech
THE METRO heralded the arrival of “the tweet police”, the anti-free speech brigade who nick you for saying nasty things (but only if the target is a popular one). The story went that the twitter cops had called on Green Party member Michael Abberton. He had mocked up a UKIP poster on Twitter. He was “fact checking” UKIP’s ten-point party policy.
A UKIP councillor offended. (So much for the stiff-upper lip.) They contacted the police. And the police, in their wisdom, laced up their heavy boots and went over to have a word with the tweeter.
Abberton was unimpressed, noting: “Is it not a matter for concern that a political party would seek to silence dissent and debate in such a manner?“
Quote so. It’s nuts.
It’s illiberal censorship, much like the Green Party leader who said the “scientific debate on climate change is over” and “any cabinet minister or government adviser who does not agree with the ‘scientific consensus’ about climate change should be removed from office”.
The Green Party leader is Natalie Bennett. She says of the UKIP tweet:
“This police action is both disturbing and surprising. That an apparently general complaint from a political party about not liking what was said about them could have led to a police visit that many would find intimidating is an extremely serious incident that demands immediate investigation. Free speech is a precious right that we must defend.”
Shutting down debate is what people afraid of debate do. And it’s not surprising the police get involved. They are less about the law and preserving hard won freedoms than they concerned with their own PR…
Posted: 15th, May 2014 | In: Politicians Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
