Free speech restrictions have unintended consequences
Suella Braverman herself has sailed perilously close to the wind with a recent speech on multiculturalism which was celebrated by far-right groups like Britain First and the Neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative . “What is the solution to liberate people in the concentration camp of Palestine?” he asked. The answer was “jihad”. The police failed to arrest him. And from that moment a debate has erupted about police powers, anti-extremism legislation and the need for more controls on what people can say.
The Met is pushing back by saying that the real fault lies in the law itself. Rowley authored a report a couple of years ago which claimed there was a “gaping chasm” in legislation which allowed hate groups to act with “impunity”.In truth, neither position is correct. Jenrick doesn’t have the basis to understand the operational decisions made, on the spot, about what was taking place. Rowley is wrong that the police do not have the powers to act if they need to.
There is a dangerous consequence to the political attack on the police and the Met’s response that they need more legal powers. It pushes towards creating new laws to further inhibit free speech, when the ones we have are perfectly adequate to the task.
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