We’ve not had free speech in 20 years. But that’s changing
MORE than three-fifths of UK women don’t say what they are thinking on sensitive issues because they are scared they might get into trouble.
The figure for men is only slightly lower, at 52 per cent.
The majority of the population, then, holding its tongue. Watching its Ps and Qs.
The things they think they can’t express without censure concern stuff like immigration.
But also suggesting that ethnic minority people have life just the same as the rest of us.
And that someone born with a whopping great todger is a man, end of story.
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This poll, conducted by YouGov, came out towards the end of last year.
We pride ourselves in this country of having freedom of speech.
But that hasn’t been true for at least two decades. It’s a thing of the past, like Toast Toppers and the hula hoop.
When a bloke can receive a visit from the coppers and be told to “watch his thinking” for having retweeted a joke about transgendering, you know we’re in BIG trouble.
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Likewise when the radical Left tries to silence brilliant speakers, such as the feminist Germaine Greer or the veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
Meanwhile, the students are busy cancelling our entire history on account of slavery.
Suggest that Islam has been implicated in one or two terrorist attacks and you’ll be accused of Islamophobia and may get a visit from Plod. Even though it’s demonstrably true.
Freedom of speech has been under sustained attack for a long while now. And the Government has done nothing about it.
I would like to think that is about to change, as a consequence of the Queen’s Speech this week.
A new Bill of Rights is due to be introduced in the next month or so to replace the Human Rights Act.
And the Government has promised that the right to voice your opinions, regardless of if they offend some melting snowflake, will supposedly be the crucial part of this bill.
The Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: “I feel very strongly that the parameters of free speech and democratic debate are being whittled away, whether by the privacy issue or whether it’s wokery and political correctness.
“I worry about those parameters of free speech being narrowed.’
Well, sure, Dom — and about time too.
The Left argues that silencing people is simply a means of preventing minorities from feeling a bit upset.
But I think they are a little more resilient than the social justice warriors like to make out.
In fact, that is not the reason for our politically correct cancel culture.
The real reason is that the Left wants to close down debate on subjects where its policies simply don’t add up.
They are terrified — rightly — that the vast majority of people in the country simply don’t agree with them. Just as that YouGov opinion poll proved.
BREEDS RESENTMENT
Punishing people who state uncomfortable truths means far fewer people actually say them. They keep schtum.
But the silencing of debate also breeds resentment and rancour: “You can’t say THAT any more!”
And it attacks the entire basis of our democracy: The right to freedom of conscience, freedom of thought and freedom of speech.
I just hope this bill goes far enough. I hope it abolishes the concept of “non-criminal hate crime”, for a start.
I hope it forces universities to realise that a minority of the perpetually offended cannot stop outside speakers from addressing those who want to hear them.
It’s been a long time coming, this bill.
But at least the Government recognises there is a real problem — a very big problem.
And is committed to doing something about it.
Party time in Leeds
YAY! The Social Democratic Party’s Wayne Dixon swept into office on a landslide in Leeds last week.
Evicting Labour for the first time in history.
The dim-witted Labour candidate wouldn’t even shake his hand.
Ha, who cares? It just goes to show that if people think the two main parties can be beaten, voters will turn out.
We’re the party that knows what a woman is, and doesn’t want all our statues thrown in the river.
Well done Wayne – and if you get a chance, look at the YouTube video of his wife jumping for joy at the election result.
It’s a hoot.
Misery plane to see
DO you remember the days when flying was . . . well, if not great fun, at least easy to do and efficient?
What the hell has happened?
We have queues a mile long at our airports.
Some of this is the consequence of Covid, of course.
Too many people are still taking weeks off work with this ineffectual illness.
But the threat of terrorism has also made taking a flight a real pain in the neck.
And then there’s the exorbitant cost, occasioned by huge fuel prices.
And always the chance that some unwashed XR hippy div will try to shame you for going on an aeroplane at all.
Think I’ll be spending the summer here in Blighty.
These days, foreign travel is just not worth the effort.
King Charles
WELL, he managed to open Parliament without cocking it up.
He walked in a kingly manner through the lobby without stopping to talk to any plants on the way.
He managed to read the Queen’s Speech.
Without inserting any mental bits about how we should all try homeopathy.
He didn’t pass wind or do that annoying wringing of his hands thing he sometimes does.
Maybe Charlie will make a decent King, then.
The last King Charles we had was one of our better monarchs.
Sam on for UK
I KNOW he’s a surfer dude vegan who likes sickly soft rock.
But there’s something likeable about our Eurovision contestant Sam Ryder.
And he’s got a decent voice and a decent tune.
I daresay we’ll come last again, because everybody (except for Ukraine) hates us.
In fact, if Ukraine doesn’t win by a mile I’ll eat my own fingers.
But at least this time I won’t have to hide behind the sofa in shame as usual when the UK’s entrant is on.
Keir's sheer nerve
AND so . . . Sir Keir Starmer is revealed as being even more weaselly and deceitful than the Prime Minister.
Which takes some doing, frankly.
This is the man who demanded more and more Covid restrictions.
Nothing was enough for him. He’d have had us all chained up in the garden shed if he’d had his way.
And he demanded the Prime Minister MUST resign when it was revealed Boris Johnson was being investigated by the Old Bill.
But he will not resign himself when being investigated by the Old Bill.
He’ll only resign if he gets a fixed penalty notice.
Which the Durham coppers have said they will not do retrospectively.
The nerve of the bloke is gobsmacking.
And never has a petard been hoisted higher.
Peter’s the pork of the town
WHAT’S wrong with a chipolata? You can get quite big chipolatas.
I’d be delighted if some babe said my old fella resembled a tasty and satisfying sausage.
All I get instead is references to button mushrooms and, on one occasion, a Midget Gem.
You can hold your head up, Peter Andre.
At least it wasn’t a Peperami.
Teacher assessment
THIS is a time of great and frantic worry in the Liddle household.
My daughter is doing her GCSEs. So she’s a bit . . . y’know . . . STRESSY.
And she asked at one stage: “What exactly is the point of these exams?”
And do you know, I wonder the same myself.
Tony Blair’s son, Euan, has just called for GCSEs to be scrapped. I think he’s right.
At 16, the kids should be assessed by their teachers.
Leave the serious exams until A-levels come along.
It would certainly make for a happier house up here.
Leave us alone
ISN’T it kind of French president Emmanuel Macron to suggest we can join a European alliance?
This would be a politically integrated (his words) trading alliance of European countries.
Does the description remind you of anything? The man is deluded.
Whyja think we got out in the first place?
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Try to govern your own basket-case country and mind your own business.
Oh, and leave our fish alone.