Free Speech or Security?

The Dutch MP has returned home, having been given extra publicity and probably ensuring that more people may be induced to look at his film on the Internet.

Should he have been allowed to have his private meeting in the House of Lords? It is difficult to say "No", given the number of Muslim preachers of hate who have been allowed to enter the country and "publicly" (i.e. in a Mosque) expound their own extreme views.

The British government has caved in and exercised its role of "Thought Police". There is little doubt that had he been allowed in a Muslim rent-a-mob would quickly have made a noisy protest and caused difficulties and expense for the police. This mob would not have been representative of mainstream Muslim opinion, many of whom are puzzled at the exclusion.

So strife has been avoided, and the rent-a-mob element has had a costless victory. But what of the future? At what point do we call their bluff? And what will this do to people already half considering joining extreme parties such the BNP The BNP will almost certainly nurse a grievance and count extra new members.

So the Home Secretary has engaged in the usual short-termism which characterises NuLabour. At what point in the future will much more reasonable lovers of freedom of speech even join a BNP demonstration, and cry "Enough!"? There may be a dreadful long-term price to pay in trying to control people's thoughts by the law.