Why Labour is like the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool

Earlier this week it came out that the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool fined a Whitehaven couple £100 for posting a bad review on Trip Advisor. (The hotel later agreed to refund the money after a huge public outcry.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30111525

Also this week Labour supporters tried to have Myleen Klass fired as the "Face of Littlewoods" for criticising Ed Miliband's tax policy.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/6106475/Labour-supporters-demand-Littlewoods-drop-Myleene.html

The hotel policy was criticised as outrageous and almost certainly illegal, but was it any better for Labour party members to try to take revenge on Myleen Klass for expressing an opinion they didn't agree with (and showing up Ed Miliband)?

But it's not just hotels and a few socialists who have a problem with free speech.

When I was a student I was a strong opponent of the so called "No Platform" policy which some on the left applied to anyone they labelled racist or fascist.

In 1984 (how appropriate) one student union even banned their Jewish society in the name of "Anti-Racism" (because they also had a policy that "Zionism equals Racism" which was and is a view often held on the left.)

Most student politicos on both left and right were given a wake-up call by this event that banning free speech is dangerous: the SU concerned was suspended until they dropped the policy and NUS organised a student demo against one of their own colleges (which certainly made a change from all the "Grants, Cuts, Loans, Moans and Groans" campaigns. And the policy of "No Platform seemed to become less popular for a while.

Brendan O'Neill has an article in the current Spectator about the "Stepford Students" for whom "Free speech is so last century" which suggests that a significant number of present-day University students are very anti freedom of speech, and which I found quite frightening in what it says about the future of our country. You can read that article at:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9376232/free-speech-is-so-last-century-todays-students-want-the-right-to-be-comfortable/


I once believed that a belief in freedom of speech was a vital part of this country's DNA. Apparently that belief is not as strong as I had once thought and hoped.


The approach usually attributed to Voltaire - "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - has never been more needed.

Comments

Jim said…
I thought it was shocking at the time of the Euro elections, When we had Labour and Green candidates who were refusing to go on radio debates because there was a BNP candidate there. Firstly it gives the impression that they wont go as the BNP has a stronger case. And secondly of course, does that mean that if they are elected they wont turn up to the European Parliament because there are MEPs there whom they disagree with?

Also when the green party were wanting to ban from the house of commons of all places anyone who opposed climate change, I mean, What?

I will say this about this blog though, I am very often critical of the conservative party and its policy's, but never once has a comment been dis allowed. Often argued, which is great and is pretty much always as intended, but never just deleted or blocked.

Its never truer if something is a really bad idea then let it be presented then shoot it down as the bad idea it is, banning the person from putting the idea forward gives the (often false) impression the idea is so good that it can not be countered

10:07 am
Jim said…
it would be a pretty stupid world without fair reviews, I buy quite a lot of things from amazon, one of the best things is Amazon have a freedom of review, so even with an amazon product you can state an honest opinion, and even advise other buyers to go to e-bay for accessories (i did this with their kindle fire, and they just accept it)
That is exactly "it"
I mean could you honestly imagine amazon lasting more than a week if they brought out a policy stating you can buy it but if you give it a bad review then we double the price.

11:29 am
Jim said…
in a way i guess the days of "trust" are over, people want to know first hand from other buyers how good or indeed how bad something is. People can research things, and to try to block that research quite naturally leads people to think "they are hiding something"

the days of trust are over, the days of substance are here
11:34 am
Chris Whiteside said…
Absolutely, Jim.

I have my issues with Amazon but the fact that they let people post almost anything about their without hindrance is certainly one of their strengths - it means people know that if a product was rubbish everyone would say so.
2:36 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
If you want to summarise the difference between myself and Jamie Reed in one simple comparison, it would be this.

I have allowed Labour councillors and occasionally even activists from a certain party which I detest far more than Labour or UKIP make comments on this blog if they are not offensive or liable to land me in legal trouble. I do block comments very occasionally, but hardly ever from someone who has signed their name and never just because I disagree with them. By comparison, when Jamie Reed started a blog he would not even accept a comment from me welcoming his blog.
2:43 pm
Jim said…
Its understandable that some comments must be removed, I have no issue with that, that is something different than censorship, that is just protecting yourself from legal action, and upholding the rules of the blog.

those are blog rules not censorship, its quite clear that offensive language and inappropriate commenting on an obituary post are not welcome.

But any dabate on any issue posted is always welcomed and allowed to stand, and that is a very positive thing.
3:50 pm
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