We have never enjoyed freedom of speech in this country. From the dawn of the printing press (banning the Bible in English, regulating newspapers during the 17th century etc). The State has always regulated what we are allowed to say.
The ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ trial in 1960 (‘Is it a book you would even wish your wife or servants to read?’) supposedly ushered in a more permissive era.
But the libel laws are always there to suppress any real dissent (In the ‘60s, The Move pop group lost a libel suit brought by Prime Minister Harold Wilson over a postcard suggesting he was having an affair with Marcia Falkender). These laws are still regularly used to stifle inquiries into the rich and powerful.
Judges can slam injunctions on reports ‘not in the national interest’ and there’s always contempt of court, a device making it nigh-on impossible to display contempt for the courts or our legal system.
The only difference between the 17th century and today is that the police and lawyers have more opportunities than ever to stifle dissent, shut people up and close down legitimate inquiries. We are not even allowed to say anything nasty.
Activist, politically-motivated lawyers are taking over from Parliament; unelected judges impose their right-on views; the State media has become the thought police; most of our politicians are compromised or complicit. And as for the police, I daren’t say what I really think.
Then there’s the weight of public opinion (albeit usually a tiny minority of the public especially in our fatuous universities) which punishes anyone expressing a contrarian view no matter how much they may be stating the bleedin’ obvious.
We are not a tolerant or liberal society. I doubt if we ever were. The tragedy is it’s getting worse and the forces of oppression – politicians, lawyers, police, the State media and vocal lobbying groups – are stronger than ever.
As Shakespeare’s Jack Cade said in ‘Henry VI Part ‘2: ‘Is it not a lamentable thing… that parchment, being scribbled o’er, should undo a man?’ Mind you, I’m surprised it is still legal to quote Act 4, scene 2, line 68 of the same play.
And won’t be long before even this sort of diatribe is repressed. I’ll come quietly, officer, but society is to blame.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/09/03/farage-us-congress-speech-free-speech-britain/
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